Kidnapped
by dreamer one
Summary: When their children are abducted, Jack and Sam struggle to find them. Part 8 of the Alone series.
1. Chapter 1 Abduction

CHAPTER ONE: ABDUCTION

According to the calendar, it was still winter in Colorado Springs. But on this mild, sunny day in mid-March, spring was in the air.

The day started early for the O'Neills. Jack had departed at 0600 to join Hank Landry for a meeting with Thor and several Asgard scientists. This left Sam, just beginning the second trimester of her pregnancy, to drive the twins to school.

Grace and Jake, recently turned eight years of age were especially anxious to get to school this morning. They'd worked together on a science project and were quite proud of their results. The presentation was scheduled for first thing this morning, so they were raring to go.

"Come on Mom, we'll be late," Jake called as Sam struggled to get Jon ready for the trip. She was planning to take her youngest clothes shopping once his older siblings were at school.

"Here Mom, I'll carry Jon's stuff out to the car," Grace offered, hoping to move things along a bit. "We really don't want to be late you know."

"I know, Princess," Sam said, delighted with her children's enthusiasm for learning and that fact they'd insisted on doing this project without her help. "I promise we'll be there on time. See, we're ready," she said taking Jon by the hand and gathering up her purse and car keys.

In a flash, Grace and Jake raced out the kitchen door to the two car garage as Sam activated the automatic garage door opener. The twins tried their hardest to stand patiently on either side of the SUV waiting for their mother to unlock the doors. Sam trailed after them, silently shaking her head, grateful that the morning sickness had subsided by this point in her pregnancy. At least she had a slight chance of keeping up with the munchkins today.

Once the doors were opened, Sam's first order of business was securing Jon in his car seat. By the time that was done, she noticed the twins were still not in the car.

"Okay everybody, let's get going," she said as she turned to see what was keeping the twins. "Hey, you two , thought you were in a hurry, why aren't you…"

By the time Sam turned around it was already too late. A man larger than Teal'c, his face effectively concealed by a stocking mask, held Grace's now limp figure tightly against his own. His free hand held a revolver pressed menacingly to her temple. It was clear there was a silencer attached.

As Jon began to cry from his seat inside the car, a second man emerged from the other side of the vehicle, holding an unconscious Jake, flung over his shoulders.

"What have you done to them?" Sam demanded, her voice commanding despite her fear.

"Tranquillizer darts," the man holding Grace answered. "Get in the car, now."

"I'll do anything you want, just let them go," Sam offered, the slightest tinge of desperation in her voice.

"You _will_ do what I want, Colonel. But we can't let them go. Get in the car and drive, now!" the first man said, emphasizing the pistol he held to Grace's head. "Believe me, if you try anything I won't hesitate. We only need one of them. The other is expendable."

Sam did as she was told. Surprising, Jon had stopped crying and simply stared at his mother as if waiting to be told what to do. Sam tried to smile reassuringly at her baby, but failed miserably in the attempt.

As Sam slid in behind the wheel, the man holding Grace hopped in the front passenger seat while his partner tossed Jake into the back, next to Jon, and jumped in after him.

"Start the car and let's go Colonel," the order came.

"Where are we going?" Sam asked, working hard to maintain her composure.

Jake's abductor was quickly loosing patience. "Listen and listen good," he said. "You're military. If you've ever taken orders, you'd better take them now, lady. "If not, one of these kids is gonna die and it'll be on you."

As she backed the SUV out of the garage and down the driveway, Sam fought the panic building inside of her. Panic could get her children killed. This was the time to think as the highly trained soldier she was. What were her options?

Using her telekinesis was out of the question. With the barrel of the gun to Grace's head, it was likely the first man could pull the trigger before she'd be able to do anything effective. She considered sending the car into a skid, but again this would be like playing Russian roulette with all the children's lives.

As she followed the directions shouted by one of her captors, Sam felt tears gathering in her eyes. _Oh God, I don't know what to do,_ she thought. _How am I going to protect them?_

"What are you going to do? Why do you want us?" Sam asked, hoping for a response.

When there was no answer, she tried again. After all, Beverly's reports of the missing medical records offered her a clue to what these men might be after.

"Take me and let them go. They're children. I'm more valuable to you," Sam reasoned in as calm a voice as she could muster.

"You're too much trouble, Colonel. The children are all we need," the large man answered.

Sam briefly glanced over to the passenger seat where Grace was still unconscious in the arms of her kidnapper. She had no idea where they were going or what would happen when they got there. Worst of all, she had no idea how to free herself and the children.

By now, the hijacked vehicle had left the city limits. As Sam surveyed the countryside surrounding the narrow two lane road she was now on, all she could see were fields and cow pastures, not a structure in sight. A lone nondescript black van waited by the side of the otherwise deserted road.

"Okay, we've come to the end of the road, Colonel," the larger man announced, pointing to a small access road immediately ahead of the van. "Here's where we get out."

"Mommy!" Jon screamed at the top of his lungs.

Sam could no longer hear him.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2 Help

"_Mommy!" Jon screamed at the top of his lungs._

_Sam could no longer hear him.

* * *

_

CHAPTER 2: HELP

"Mommy, Mommy, wake up," Jon called, trying valiantly to free himself from the carefully fastened child restraint his mother had secured around him.

He'd been calling for a long time now, but Mommy kept sleeping. He'd seen the man shoot her with something and then she fell asleep, like Grace and Jake. Once Mommy was asleep both men had left, taking his brother and sister with them.

Jon was glad they hadn't taken his mommy too. But he was worried about her; he knew he had to get help. Finally, unable to release the restraint buckle, he wiggled out of the seat altogether. Free at last, the three-year-old crawled into the front seat and reached for his mother. Calling again, he still got no reaction. Now he was really scared.

Jon remembered his mommy had always told him to call daddy or one of his uncles if anything bad ever happened. All he needed was a phone. But Mommy's handbag was gone. The men must have taken it. Then he remembered Mommy always kept a cell phone tucked under the front seat of the car.

In minutes the little tyke had retrieved the phone from its hiding place and hit one on the speed dial. The voice on the other end startled him.

"O'Neill," Jack answered, in his less than patient tone.

"Daddy?" Jon asked, not used to that tone from his father.

"Jon, is that you? Jack asked, his voice instantly softening. "What's wrong?"

"Mommy sleeping and she won't wake up," the little boy answered. "Come find me, Daddy."

"Jon, who's with you?"

"Me and mommy. Please come, Daddy. Me scared."

"Are you at home, Jon?"

"No, Daddy," Jon said, shaking his head as if his father could see him. "We're in the car. We're a long way from home. I can't see any houses."

"The GPS, Jon," Jack said, working hard to think clearly as worry clouded his mind. "Jon, turn on the game on the dash. Remember, the button you push to get the lady to talk to you?" Try as they might, Jack and Sam had been unable to break their youngest of the idea the GPS unit was a great toy for his amusement.

"The game's on, Daddy," Jon said proudly, finding the GPS power switch and activating the control that emitted the tell-tale signal.

"I'll be right there, Jon. Keep talking to me and take care of Mommy till I get there," Jack said, in his best reassuring voice.

"Okay, Daddy," the little boy said, glad he could stay on the phone till his father arrived. Smart as he was, Jon wondered how long the battery would last. His mother always said it needed to be "reached". He knew that meant it might not work very long and hoped his daddy would show up before that happened.

"Jon, I'll be there very soon. Don't worry, buddy. You know Thor. Piece of cake," Jack continued as he made preparations to leave.

Jack O'Neill was true to his word. With Thor's help, a contingent of SGC personnel, led by a very anxious father and a Chief Medical Officer arrived not more than 5 yards from the O'Neill SUV long before the cell phone battery ran down.

When he saw his father, Jon, still safely ensconced in the family vehicle by his mother's side, jumped down, threw open the front door and ran to his father.

"Daddy!" Jon cried as Jack scooped him up in his arms.

"You okay, big boy?"

"Okay, Daddy," Jon answered.

"Let's go check on your mom," Jack said as he walked the rest of the way to the SUV just behind the rapidly moving Janet Frasier.

"Doc?"

Janet had reached Sam first. "She's breathing easily, her vitals are stable, Jack. There's a puncture wound on the back of her neck. I'm thinking a tranquillizer of some sort. I'll know more when we get her to the infirmary."

By now, still holding his youngest, Jack had reached Sam's side and stroked her forehead gently, worry creasing his features. "What happened?" he asked, expecting an answer from his friend and family physician.

"The men did it, Daddy," Jon said, taking Jack by surprise.

Jack turned to his little boy, wondering how this could get any worse and not sure he wanted to find out. "What men, Jon?"

"The men that took Grace and Jake," the small preschooler answered.

OoOoOo

"It'll be another hour or so before they wake up. Be sure you keep them lightly sedated. We wouldn't want any surprises," the one in charge directed his second.

"Don't worry, I know what to do, Sir," came the answer. "Believe me, I know what these children can do; I don't want to be their target anymore than you do."

"Once they're awake, prepare them for travel. We'll need to move to the next location as soon as possible. We can't afford to be found just yet," the director added.

"Will do." Though knowing enough to follow the director's orders without question, the accomplice didn't see much reason to rush their movements. After all, it would be at least an hour before Colonel Carter revived to call for help. By then, they would have fled beyond anyone's ability to find them.

* * *

A/N: Please review and let me know what you think of the story, suggestions, questions etc.

Chapters will be appearing fairly slowly, but at least once a week. These days, every spare moment is devoted to holiday concert practice or finishing those holiday craft projects. I'm a great procrastinator and the pressure is now on! So thanks for your patience.


	3. Chapter 3 Jon

_Jack turned to his little boy, wondering how this could get any worse and not sure he wanted to find out. "What men, Jon?"_

"_The men that took Grace and Jake," the small preschooler answered.

* * *

_

CHAPTER 3: JON 

By now, an official SGC vehicle had arrived on scene. Janet supervised two airmen as they carried Sam to the transport for the trip to the Cheyenne Mountain facility.

Jack, still sitting in the SUV with his resourceful young son, swallowed hard and looked the little boy in the eyes.

"Jon, your brother and sister are at school, aren't they?" he asked, dreading the response.

"No, Daddy. Grace and Jake fell asleep. Funny looking men took them," Jon answered.

"Not in school?" Jack asked rhetorically, tried to keep his feeling of dread at bay.

Jake shook his head. Jack turned to one of the marines who'd accompanied him to the scene and nodded. As the SGC marine placed a call to the twins' school, Jack continued to question the three-year-old.

"Tell me about the funny looking men, buddy."

"They had funny faces, all mussed up. They had Mommy's stockings on their faces."

"Okay, good job, Jon," Jack encouraged. "What else?"

Questioning was interrupted by the young marine intelligence officer. "They never got to school, Sir."

Jack took a deep breath and clenched his fists at the news. He knew his son wouldn't make up something so serious, but this time, he'd hoped …

"Jon, did you see where they went? Did they get into a car?" Jack asked

The little boy looked puzzled. Worse yet, he was starting to feel scared again. Something was very wrong. His daddy was scared too. He could tell.

"There was a big black car," the little boy said. "Don't know where they went," he added sadly. "Me sorry, Daddy."

"You did great, Jon. You got help. Now it's up to me and your mom to find your brother and sister," Jack said, trying to sound calm and reassuring. "They'll be back before you know it."

Jon looked unconvinced.

"Come on, buddy, let's go check on your mom," Jack continued, moving to secure his youngest in his back seat car restraint.

Jack slid behind the wheel of the SUV. Taking out his own set of keys (clearly the "funny looking men had taken Sam's keys as well as the only cell phone they thought she had), he started the engine and began the trip to the SGC. As he turned onto the road, he saw the marine investigative team checking tire imprints along the side of the road, possibly where the "big black car" had been. He hoped and even prayed that Sam had more information about what happened. As it was, there was nothing of substance to go on. He had nothing to tell him where his children were or who had taken them.

OoOoOo

It had been months since Jack first spotted the unmarked vehicle in front of the house. Months since an intensive, largely unnoticed surveillance of his family had begun. Months since he'd requested an investigation by Homeworld Security.

Despite the best efforts of military intelligence and Homeworld, the investigation had gone nowhere since Jack's initial complaint. Even after Grace's close encounter at Daniel and Janet's wedding, there were simply no leads to be had. The man who'd approached Grace had disappeared as though he'd never existed. The catering service had no idea who he was. Jack and Sam were certain whoever it was had some big time connections in order to evade the investigation as well as they had.

Now as Jack drove the family car back to the Springs, two intelligence officers diligently dusting for prints as he did so, he couldn't help but wonder whether he'd let his guard down and left the twins vulnerable to this final act of terror.

OoOoOo

"You've never told me what you actually have planned for the children," the woman said.

"No, I haven't. You've no need to know, my dear."

"I thought we were partners."

"Partners? No, not partners. You've been well paid and will continue to be for as long as your services are required," the director said coldly. "You will do as you are told for as long as I need you."

Just then an alarm sounded, signaling movement in the isolation lab. The twins were awake. The strategically placed viewing cameras revealed the confused looks on the children's faces. Rather than going to them immediately, their abductors chose to observe the reactions of the extraordinary eight-year-olds.

OoOoOo

Under Cheyenne Mountain, a mother woke up to her worst nightmare.

* * *

A/N: I know this is coming slowly. Rest assured, I've got a pretty good outline of where the story is going and will update ASAP.

Thanks for your reviews. It's good to know you're interested in the story. Keeps me thinking about it during all the holiday preparations!


	4. Chapter 4 Awakenings

_Just then an alarm sounded, signaling movement in the isolation lab. The twins were awake. The strategically placed viewing cameras revealed the confused looks on the children's faces. Rather than going to them immediately, their abductors chose to observe the reactions of the extraordinary eight-year-olds._

_OoOoOo_

_Under Cheyenne Mountain, a mother woke up to her worst nightmare.

* * *

_

CHAPTER 4: AWAKENINGS

The SGC infirmary housed only one patient this morning. Dr. Frasier had instructed her staff to page her as soon as Samantha O'Neill regained consciousness.

Following these orders, a young Air Force nurse summoned the Chief Medical Officer when Sam began to stir.

Opening her eyes, the pregnant mother of three took a deep breath and looked around the familiar room to get her bearings. She sat up with a start, a look of panic on her face, just as Janet Frasier came to stand by her bedside.

"Where are the kids?" Sam asked, fixing Janet with intense blue eyes.

Flooded with compassion for her good friend, Janet braced herself for the reaction she knew was coming.

"Jon's here on base, in your quarters with Daniel," she began.

"And the twins?" Sam asked tensely.

Janet closed her eyes briefly. "They weren't in the car when we found you. We're not sure where they are."

Sam's face blanched at Janet's words. Her eyes brimming with tears, she asked for the one person she knew could help her make this right.

"Where's Jack? He's here, isn't he?"

"Of course, Sam. He's talking with Landry, organizing the search," Janet explained. You've been out nearly two hours, a tranquillizer of some sort." Squeezing her friend's hand in a gesture of support, Janet moved to the intercom and paged Jack.

OoOoOo

The impromptu isolation lab was starkly painted in a gray color that defied further description. Soft pillows, sleeping bags, a variety of finger foods and soft drinks in plastic bottles rounded out the décor and supplies. The overhead lighting was dim and there were no windows. The only sound was the soft breathing of the children and the rustling of the sleeping bags as Grace and Jake began to wake up and crawl out of their warm cocoons.

"Where are we?" Grace asked, looking over to her brother.

Jake, slowly opening his eyes, sat up and looked around. "Don't know, Grace. Don't think we're in Kansas anymore," he replied dryly.

Grace, who usually laughed as her brother's attempts to sound like their father, wasn't easily amused right now. The last thing she remembered was being in the garage, anxious to get to school for the science fair. Now she had no idea where they were or how they got there.

"Funny, Jake," she said, more irritated than entertained. "I'm serious, what is this place?"

By now, Jake was on his feet walking around the twelve by fifteen foot space that seemed to have become their new home. On the positive side, there was an adjoining bathroom. Even normally optimistic Jake had to admit that was about it for the positive side of this adventure.

"I don't know where we are, Grace," Jake admitted, continuing to inspect the room for clues or a door that might open.

"So what are we going to do?" the blond little girl asked, realizing she was scared.

"What would daddy do?" Jake answered his sister with another question.

"Dad's not here. Mom's not here. It's just us, Jake. What are we going to do?" She answered, a bit more stridently.

"Ever hear of Plan B?" the irrepressible male twin replied.

Now Grace did smile.

OoOoOo

"Sam …"

Jack's voice could be heard through the corridor as soon as he arrived in the infirmary hallway.

Sam met her husband as he arrived at the infirmary door. Seeing how pale she was, Jack's heart went out to the woman he loved. Gathering her into his arms, he soothed his wife as best he could, but only for a moment. They both knew comfort would have to wait. Right now the first priority was to find and safely retrieve their missing children.

Pulling back from the embrace so she could face her husband, Sam began, "I'm sorry. I should have been able to prevent this."

"Nothing you could have done, Sam. Don't even start," Jack all but commanded. "You're needed in the briefing room. We've got a tactical squad waiting for orders. We need to hear from you exactly what happened. Are you up to it?" he asked, his voice taking on a more tender tone.

"I'm fine. Let's go," Sam replied, swallowing her tears and emotions. Sam knew she needed to be Colonel Carter right now if she was going to help find her children. Samantha O'Neill, the woman who wanted to cry in fear and terror, would have to wait her turn..

Jack briefly looked to Janet for reassurance Sam was medically cleared to leave the infirmary. As Janet silently nodded, the O'Neills left, making their way arm-in-arm to the briefing room.

"Sam?" Jack asked as they cleared the confines of the infirmary. "Tell me what you remember."

As they walkedf to the briefing room, Sam explained how the men had surprised the family in the garage, how they'd insisted she drive to the out of the way place they'd eventually been found and how everything had gone black shortly after she saw the van…

The van… she remembered!

"I saw the license plate, Jack. I remember the license."

By now the couple had arrived at the briefing room, where General Landry had assembled a top notch military investigative team. Jack, his friend Hank Landry and the President had agreed this situation was best handled by those with appropriate military clearance, rather than local police and the FBI. Everyone involved was fairly certain this was not about a ransom demand or a random abduction by a child predator. It seemed obvious given the stalking pattern the O'Neills had observed, coinciding with the theft of records from the NID lab, that these kidnappers were interested in the twins' special abilities.

Overlooking the gateroom, the SGC briefing area was filled with personnel who'd been called in to help over the past 2 hours. Among them were Daniel, Teal'c and Cameron Mitchell. Though no longer on SG teams, all three had been fortuitously engaged in meetings at the top secret facility earlier in the morning. Colonel Anderson Scott, head of Air Force forensics and counter-espionage operations was also present as was recently appointed NID director and O'Neill family friend, Malcolm Barrett.

Before Jack had left for the infirmary, he and the assembled group had reviewed the list of possible perpetrators. Many around the table suspected a new faction of rogue NID operatives. Barrett had agreed to do all he could to ferret out any such persons.

"Jack, to the best of my knowledge, after the Trust was broken, our people have been on a pretty tight leash. I don't know of any breakaway groups. But if they exist, I'll find them, Malcolm had assured him. "I don't want anything to happen to those kids." Barrett's promise of assistance had been echoed by the others in the room.

Now, as the group reviewed what was known of the twins' special abilities and the details of today's abduction, the door to the briefing room flew open as the O'Neills joined them.

"Sam has the license," Jack announced before he even sat down.

"That's good, right?" Daniel said to no one in particular, as Jack passed the hastily scrawled Colorado plate number to Colonel Scott.

"Indeed, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c responded. "It seems that would make it easier to track the vehicle that may have been involved. "

"Didn't someone tell me we had roadblocks up within minutes?" Landry injected. "No black vans as I remember, correct?"

"Roadblocks?" Sam asked. "How did you know about the car? How did you find us anyway?"

Jack squeezed his wife's hand and smiled softly at her. "Jon. He managed to find the phone, called me and turned on the GPS."

Sam smiled wanly in return, a surge of pride briefly caressing her heart, before the underlying terror returned.

As the representative of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Colonel Scott took the lead in the meeting. Everyone at the table realized that Colonel Scott was now directly accountable to Jack's successor in Homeworld Security.

Sam proceeded to tell the whole story of the morning's events to the best of her recollection, stopping to calm herself or hold back tears as she thought of what might be happening to her babies. Holding her hand discretely, Jack longed to take her in his arms and let her cry it out. But that wouldn't help them find their children. The SGC's legendary flagship team would be needed now more than ever.

"… and that was it. The last thing I remember was the license plate. Then I woke up here," Sam said, completing her tale and dabbing at the tears that threatened to fall despite her best efforts. "We have to find them, quickly."

"And that's what we plan to do, Colonel. The license plate is the first lead. My people are already tracking it down," Colonel Scott informed the group.

"What about the prints you took from our car?" Jack asked.

"All accounted for by family members. Most likely the abductors were wearing gloves."

"They were," Sam confirmed.

"Colonel Scott," the man was summoned by his secretary, who handed him a small memo pad.

"Thank you, airmen," the Colonel replied. "That's it. They've tracked the plate to a Richard Dean, just outside Colorado Springs. I'm sending a team over to check it out."

"I'm going with them," Jack announced. "When do we leave?"

"General," Colonel Scott addressed him with the formality and deference befitting his superior officer, "it's not a good idea to have a parent along on the investigation of a kidnapping."

"It's not a discussion, Colonel," Sam said, her voice mechanically calm and controlled. "They're our children; we're coming with you."

Jack looked at her briefly, thinking he wanted his pregnant wife safe at home, not looking for kidnappers. Rather than protest, he continued, "Exactly."

"General…," Scott began.

"Yes, I am the General, _Colonel._ You may have noticed this isn't your run of the mill kidnapping." Standing up, Jack addressed the younger man in a voice that brooked no argument. "My wife and I, and our friends here," he said, gesturing to Daniel, Teal'c and Cam, "we're your best chance for finding Jake and Grace. You damn well _are_ going to use our help."

"We leave for Dean's place in fifteen minutes. We'll meet you topside," Scott instructed.

Nodding formally, Jack and Sam stood up and headed for their quarters. Sam needed to see Jon before they left to find his brother and sister.

* * *

A/N: My muse is hungry. Please review! And many thanks for reading! 


	5. Chapter 5 Investigation

"_We leave for Dean's place in fifteen minutes. We'll meet you topside," Scott instructed._

_Nodding formally, Jack and Sam stood up and headed for their quarters. Sam needed to see Jon before they left to find his brother and sister.

* * *

_

CHAPTER 5: INVESTIGATION

While Janet looked on from the kitchenette where she was preparing a lunch for her young charge, Jon ran to the door of the family quarters to greet his parents. He recognized the look of determination on his father's face as the Air Force General scooped him up in his arms, lifting him into the air.

"How's my little hero doing?" Jack asked with a grin, noticing the powdered sugar around his son's lips. _Teal'c had been a bad influence on Aunt Janet, _he thought, welcoming the levity of this amusing distraction.

"Hi, Daddy," Jon replied, quickly reaching out to his mother as Sam walked into the room just behind Jack. "Mommy wake!" the little boy exclaimed joyfully.

"Yes, she is, buddy," Jack agreed as Sam covered her baby with kisses, grateful her youngest had been left untouched by the men who'd taken the twins. Finally, truly thankful for his safety, she simply held him tightly.

As Jack gestured for Sam to take a seat, Jon pulled back in his mother's embrace to see tears pooling in her eyes. While her son gently dabbed his tiny fingers at the corners of her leaky eyes, Sam began to impart her message.

"Jon, honey, Mommy and Daddy are going on a little trip."

"Me come too," the almost preschooler answered matter-of-factly.

"Not this time, big boy," Jack replied. "We're going to bring your brother and sister home. Now we've got a job for you to do. But we need you to stay home to do it."

"Really?"

"Really. You're in charge of the phone at Aunt Janet's," Sam explained.

"That's right, Jon," Jack continued. "Now that means if Aunt Janet's on her phone I'm going to call you, so you need to have this cell with you at all times. If I call, I'll need you to get a message to Aunt Janet right away. Understand?"

"Yes, Daddy," Jon said solemnly. "Me listen all the time," he said, with the seriousness of an airman accepting marching orders from his commanding officer.

OoOoOo

The van was registered to a Richard Dean, a retired engineer living on the outskirts of Colorado Springs.

Within three hours of the abduction, a team led by Homeworld Security operative Neil Hendricks arrived at the Dean residence. Hendricks was accompanied by General O'Neill, Colonel Carter O'Neill and two of his associates from Homeworld.

Three other teams had been established as well. One of these included NID operatives handpicked by Malcolm Barrett, paired with SGC personnel, including Daniel Jackson, Teal'c and Cameron Mitchell. Even now these teams were pursuing possible persons of interest identified by the NID.

At the General's insistence, the O'Neills accompanied Hendricks to Dean's front door, while the two intelligence officers waited in the less than inconspicuous black sedan parked in front of the engineer's home.

Shortly after Hendricks rang the bell, a pleasant enough balding man in his late fifties answered the door.

"Hello," he said, his generally welcoming face creased with confusion on seeing the three strangers at his door. "How can I help you?"

"General Jack O'Neill, United States Air Force," Jack began, not willing to let Hendricks take the lead. Introducing Sam by her military rank and Hendricks as an officer attached to Air Force Special Investigations, Jack continued, "We're working on a child abduction investigation and have reason to believe a vehicle registered to you was involved in the case."

Dean's face registered understanding. "You mean the van. So that's what happened," he said with the tone of a man finally understanding a puzzle. "Come in, please. I hope we can help each other."

Thinking this was much too easy the team entered Richard Dean's home. Jack needn't have worried about Neil Hendrick's competence. As the team entered and were led to a comfortable sitting room in the ultra modern suburban home, the career intelligence agent assessed every visible aspect of Dean's home. While Jack and Sam took their seats, prepared to interrogate the unassuming homeowner, Hendricks made the first move.

"So, Mr. Dean, sounds like you were expecting us." Hendricks began in a non-threatening tone of voice.

"Well, not exactly you. But after I woke up this morning and found the van missing, I was figuring somebody would turn up," he said. "In fact I was getting ready to call the police before you rang the bell."

"Do you have any idea who may have taken it?"

"None at all, I'm afraid," the man answered. "I'm embarrassed to admit it, but sometimes I just leave the keys in the ignition. My wife tells me I shouldn't, but we've lived in this neighborhood almost thirty years. We know everybody. These things don't happen here."

"And yet, it did," Jack observed. "We took the liberty of doing a background check."

"We found you've been part of several government contracts," Sam said, entering the conversation. "What can you tell us about your current assignment?"

Dean was not a stupid man. Unaccustomed as he was to being the target of a police investigation, he got a bad feeling about what was going on here. "I don't mind helping you people," he said, "but do I need a lawyer?"

Neil Hendricks finally stopped his reconnaissance of the room to join the three who were seated. The O'Neills were making him nervous. Hendricks feared the anxiety these parents felt for their children would spook his first lead before any useful information could be obtained. He didn't like that idea one iota. The highly trained professional mentally berated himself for bringing these particular parents along in spite of his best judgment. His boss, Colonel Scott, had been intimidated by the General and Hendricks was determined the same thing wasn't going to happen to him.

"No sir, Mr. Dean," Hendricks said, before Jack could open his mouth. "There's no need for a lawyer at this point. But we would appreciate your help. Anything you can tell us about what might have happened to the van, any problems on your current assignment, anything suspicious you may have heard from associates…"

Dean appeared thoughtful. "I don't know what I could say that would help you. All I know is my van was stolen. I do some pretty boring work, farmed out from the Pentagon. My sister's always telling me it's the most run-of –the-mill stuff she's seen. Children were kidnapped you said?"

"Yes, two eight-year-olds," Sam replied, as calmly as her nerves allowed. By now, she'd gotten up from her own seat and walked over to the fireplace mantle where she proceeded to examine what were undoubtedly family photographs. As Jack and Hendricks continued to question the seemingly cooperative engineer, Sam's attention was drawn to one particular photograph. The women standing with Richard Dean was familiar. She knew her. Though she was younger in the photo, she knew her. Without a doubt, she knew her.

"How do you know Beverly Picard?" she asked.

OoOoO

A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. Just returned from a holiday visit.

More coming soon. Any guesses about the identity of the twins' kidnapper??

Please review!


	6. Chapter 6 Suspicion

"How do you know Beverly Picard?" she asked.

* * *

CHAPTER SIX: SUSPICION

"Beverly? You mean Bev, my baby sister," Dean said, turning around to find Sam holding a framed photo. By now, Jack had found his feet as well and was studying the picture along with his wife.

"To whom are you referring, Colonel?" Neil Hendricks inquired with a fairly demanding tone.

"Dr. Beverly Picard. She was ... is ... my assistant at the NID lab in Washington," Sam explained.

"You work with my sister? What a coincidence," Richard Dean exclaimed.

"If you ask me, it's a little convenient for a coincidence," Jack observed. After taking a long look at the photo, the General had gone over to where Dean was sitting and towered over him, doing his best to provoke fear and anxiety in the man. If this guy had anything to do with the twins' abduction, he had every reason to be afraid. "As a matter-of-fact, I saw someone else I know in that picture," Jack said, "one Luke Sisko. Does that name ring any bells for you, Mr. Dean?"

"Well, as you can see from that particular picture, the shot was taken at a Christmas party, with my sister's work colleagues from what I recall. It was over 6 years ago, you know," Richard Dean said. "But I have heard Bev mention a Dr. Sisko over the years. Not recently though."

Jack studied the man intensely then flashed a guarded look at Sam. They'd decided not to reveal their identities as parents of the missing children, so didn't say much else aloud. Hendricks knew something was up with the General yet knew it would have to wait for a more private discussion.

"How recently have you seen your sister, Mr. Dean?" Hendricks asked, aware that Dr. Picard had been the one to sound the alert about the missing medical record.

"She was here about a week ago. I remember I was surprised. I hadn't seen her in awhile. Said she was just passing through on her way to a meeting and decided to drop in. Is something wrong with my sister?" Dean asked.

"I don't think so, but it's possible she's involved with our current situation. At this point, I'd say she's a person of interest," Hendricks responded.

Less than twenty minutes later, the intelligence officer and two very worried parents departed the Dean house. As they returned to the car, Jack turned to Sam and spoke in a soft voice belying his deadly intent. "If he had anything to do with this, I'll kill him, Sam, I swear." Sam had no doubt her husband was referring to his brother-in-law.

Before Sam could reply, Hendricks' fellow agents informed him the van had been found.

OoOoOo

Grace and Jake had been in their small, windowless enclosure for less than two hours. In the thirty minutes they'd been awake, both children had explored the area, failing to find any discernable exit. Though Jake in particularly tried to put on a brave front he knew his father would admire, they were both quite frightened.

In spite of that very natural fear, these special children had decided to make things as difficult at possible for their captors. Grace had suggested to her brother that the more frustrated the "bad men" got, the more likely they would be to make a mistake.

So when the director's team of observers came to meet the children for the first time they were greeted by two four-foot, six-inch tall third graders who looked quite self-assured and had no intention of being cooperative.

"Hello," the woman greeted the two as she entered just in front of her large, male companion. "I'll bet you two are a little scared. But I want you to know, no one here is going to hurt you. We just need your help."

"We're not scared," Grace said bravely. "We want to go home, now."

"That's not possible," the man replied. "You'll both be staying with us for awhile."

"I don't think so," came the immediate response. "Our mom and dad will be here soon. And you'll be sorry. Very sorry," Jake said in as menacing a tone as he could manage. He couldn't help but notice the puzzled looks on his keepers' faces. Clearly they hadn't been prepared for the O'Neill children.

"Let's not be angry with each other," the woman soothed. "Let's sit down and talk about how we can make this right," she said, pulling over one of the large pillows and sitting cross-legged on the floor. The children gingerly followed her lead, easily sitting down on their sleeping bags across from the woman, while her companion held up the wall and kept watch.

As the twins eyed her suspiciously, the woman began to talk.

"My name's Miranda," she said. "I'm here to help take care of you during our time together. You see, the people I work for need something from you. We know you can do things with your minds."

The twins looked at each other furtively. "What kind of things?" Grace asked innocently.

"We know you can move things with your minds, without even touching them. That's called telekinesis and it's very special".

_Of course it is, you idiot_, Jake thought to himself. _She's going to treat us like little kids. We can use that._

"We don't know what you mean," Jake said aloud.

"Move things without touching them? Nobody can do _that_!" Grace said, looking at the woman with feigned skepticism.

"Not very many people," Miranda replied. "But I've seen you two do some pretty amazing things even when you were little."

"Do we know you?" Grace asked.

Miranda nodded gently. "I knew you when you were very young. You wouldn't remember me. But I saw you do some very amazing things."

As the conversation continued, the man brought juice boxes and graham crackers, offering them to the twins as a snack.

"No thank you,' Grace said. "We're not hungry. Besides we won't be here very long, will we Miranda?"

"I suppose that's up to you," the woman answered.

OoOoOo

"We've recovered Dean's van about three miles from here hidden in some underbrush. Special operations officers are dusting for prints now," Neil Hendricks informed the O'Neills once they'd settled into the large sedan for the trip back to the SGC.

"While we're waiting, Sam and I are going on a little family visit," Jack announced.

"And where would that be, General?"

"Not too far," Jack responded. "Denver, actually."

As Sam flashed him a questioning, concerned look, Jack offered more information. "I'm going to talk with my brother-in-law, Luke Sisko. He threatened the twins in the past. I'm gonna be damn sure he's not part of it now. In the meantime, have one of the teams find Beverly Picard," Jack said, having worked himself up to full command mode. "I wouldn't be surprised if they're both tied up in this."

Chafing at the way General O'Neill easily assumed the right to order him around, Hendricks swallowed hard. He had to admit both Sisko and Picard had become possible suspects and would need to be questioned.

"Already on it, General," Hendricks insisted. "I've assigned the NID team where your friend Teal'c is serving to find Beverly Picard. As for Sisko …"

"As for Sisko, my wife and I will take care of my brother-in-law," Jack retorted. And _I'm _already on _that_. Plane leaves the airfield for Denver in twenty minutes. You might want to step on it."

TBC

* * *

A/N: All I can say for the guesses so far is… not exactly!

Please review. I love to hear from all of you!


	7. Chapter 7 Brother

"_As for Sisko, my wife and I will take care of my brother-in-law," Jack retorted. And I'm already on that. Plane leaves the airfield for Denver in twenty minutes. You might want to step on it."

* * *

_

CHAPTER SEVEN: BROTHER

Even now, with Luke married to his sister, Jack had never forgotten the man's betrayal.

Nearly seven years ago, Luke Sisko had been involved in a plot to study and eventually capture the twins. The erstwhile medical researcher, now pediatrician, deluded by loyalty to his uncle, Robert Kinsey, had relayed the twins' medical information to the Trust during the first year of their lives. In spite of Luke's apologies and his resolutions to break all ties with what was left of the rogue NID group, Jack O'Neill had never given up a degree of suspicion when it came to the man who'd married his sister three years later.

Now, as he and Sam sat side by side in the jump seat of a military helicopter commandeered to bring them to the roof of Dr. Sisko's hospital, it was time to deal with the disapproval he saw in his wife's eyes.

"Jack, what are we doing?" Sam asked, her eyes tired and her face showing fatigue and worry.

"Looking for our children, pursuing a lead," Jack responded tersely. "Having a picture of Luke in that guy Dean's apartment, it can't be a coincidence, Sam, can't be," he said, staring off into space.

Reaching up with one hand to turn her husband's face toward her, Sam tried to reason with him. "What does Luke have to do to prove himself to you?" she asked gently. "It's been almost seven years. He's married your sister; they have a child. They moved closer to us so they could be part of the family…"

"Or be closer to the twins and get ready for this," he countered coldly. Jack's anger was tempered by the sadness in his wife's eyes. His demeanor softened as he reached for Sam and pulled her towards him. They made the rest of the short trip wrapped in each other's embrace.

"Promise me we'll find them, Jack," Sam whispered against his chest.

"I promise."

OoOoOO

At a state-of-the-art hospital outside Denver, Luke Sisko had become director of neonatology. In his relatively new role, he'd set out to develop and market the fledgling department. It was a sizeable challenge, involving new technology and high risk medical procedures. Of course the rewards were enormous too – saving small premature babies who only a few years back would have been lost.

Luke and his wife, Maureen, had moved to Denver just before the birth of their first child. The reason for the move was twofold. Maureen had an opportunity to join a first rate local newspaper as a feature writer and both Luke and Maureen wanted to be near family.

Since Jon O'Neill was born in a dramatic, premature fashion three years ago, Luke had gradually been accepted as a member of the O'Neill family. His marriage to Jack's sister, Maureen, a few months later, had cemented his position. From there, the family bonds of trust and closeness had grown. The families visited each other frequently and kept in touch by phone and email. Jack and Sam had been godparents to the Siskos' young son, Michael, christened a short nine months ago.

Luke's pager had gone off about an hour ago. He recognized his brother-in-law's number. Worrying that something was wrong (Jack never called him at work), Luke had returned the page immediately. His concern was only heightened by the tenseness of Jack's voice. He hadn't heard that tone from the man in a long time. It wouldn't be long now. He could hear the helicopter coming in for a landing on the hospital's newly installed helipad.

Maureen had been at the hospital with Michael for a well baby visit that afternoon. When Luke learned Jack and Sam were on their way, he'd asked Maureen to join them. He had no idea what was about to go down.

"Jack, Sam, hello," Maureen called, as she ran to greet them once they'd emerged from the stairwell. "I can't imagine why you're here, but it's great to see you."

"You too, sis," Jack said perfunctorily. "Where's Luke?"

"In his office. He's waiting for you," Maureen said, looking briefly at Sam for reassurance. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure Moe," her brother answered. "But I'm sure as hell gonna find out."

"Jack, Sam," Luke said with a smile, coming to greet his in-laws. To what do I owe such a dramatic visit?" Then more seriously, seeing the distress on Sam's face, "Is something wrong?"

"The twins were taken this morning, Luke," Sam said, hoping to head off some of Jack's rage. "We have no idea where they are."

"What can I do to help?" Luke offered without a second thought.

"Tell us what you did with them," Jack snarled.

Horrified by the accusation, Maureen moved to stand between her brother and her husband.

"Get out of my way, Maureen," Jack said to his sister. "He knows something and I'm going to get it out of him."

"Why don't we all sit down," Luke suggested, trying his best to maintain the cool head that allowed him to work in highly stressful situations, "and you and Sam can tell us what's going on."

Sam laid her hand gently on Jack's forearm and encouraged him to sit down. Fortunately, he followed her lead, not really wanting to beat the man to a pulp in front of his sister and his wife.

"You're involved in this Luke…" the overwrought general hissed between clenched teeth.

"Jack, we don't know that," Sam interrupted, knowing she'd have to intervene to keep the meeting from devolving into a useless verbal argument or worse. She proceeded to offer Luke and Maureen a brief recounting of the day's events capped off by the photo they'd found in Richard Dean's home.

"I know we may be grasping at straws, Luke, but your picture was in the home of the man whose van was involved in the kidnapping. And Beverly is his sister," Sam said, as reasonably as she could. "Do you know anything about what's going on here?"

"Sam, I have nothing to do with this. I would never endanger the kids. I think you know that," he said with pleading, sincere eyes.

"I don't know that," Jack countered. "I can't just forget what happened before, not now."

"Of course you can't, I wouldn't either in your position, Jack," Luke said, turning to his brother-in-law. "I can never erase that year, but I swear I've had no contact with the Trust or anyone interested in harming the twins since then."

Maureen had come over to sit by her husband and had taken his hand. Michael, who until Jack raised his voice had been napping, began to fuss. At that Jack winced, but continued, "And the picture?"

"Beverly's the man's sister, you said. Of course, he'd have a picture," Luke reasoned. "The rest of us just happened to be at the office party. All of us, Jack, not just me."

"And I should believe you because…"

"Because of the last few years we've spent as family, that's why," Luke said sadly. "I'd hoped it had started to make a difference. I suppose I was wrong."

Jack's cell rang as Maureen was preparing to explain he'd have to leave if he continued to disturb Michael. Despite the seriousness of their current situation, Maureen couldn't help a smile as the phone played the Star Trek theme.

"O'Neill," he answered.

After less than a moment's one sided conversation, Jack ended the call.

"Hendricks and Scott fingerprinted the van. Only two sets of prints – Dean's and Beverly's. Nothing else, no sign the kids were ever in the car."

"But Beverly was in the car?" Sam asked. "Has Teal'c's team located her yet?"

"No, that's just it. No one at the lab seems to know where she's gone. She filed for unexpected personal leave a week ago, something about her mother."

Sam nodded her head. She knew Beverly's mother had been in a nursing facility suffering from Alzheimer's disease for over a year now. Beverly had been struggling with both the diagnosis and the cost of adequate care for her mother. Maybe that was it. Maybe she'd been forced to do something against her better judgment in order to get the money she needed.

"We have to find her," Sam said simply.

OoOoOo

In the underground bunker where the O'Neill children were being held, the director had just returned. Coming in from outside, where night was falling, he adjusted his eyes to the deeper darkness of what wasn't much more than a cave.

Not a patient man to begin with, the director was displeased to find that the van used to transport the children had been found. Though certain nothing could disrupt his plan now, the incompetence of his workers disturbed him greatly.

Met by Miranda and the men who'd abducted the twins, the director proceeded to make his feelings known.

"I'm gone on business less than two hours and I come back to find you can't manage the simplest things. So careless, you disappoint me. Really, you shouldn't disappoint me, you know."

The men simply looked at each other. One actually rolled his eyes, wondering if any amount of money was worth abiding the arrogance of the director.

"Your ambition and greed rival my own, yet your intelligence leaves much to be desired," the director observed. "The van should never have been found." Without a second thought, the man in charge pulled a weapon the three had never seen and shot a burst of energy at each of the two men in turn. Once they were stunned, he shot each of them two more times.

"There, you see my dear," he said calmly, addressing a trembling Miranda, "they'll _never _be found."

* * *

A/N: Ah… the plot thickens.

Please review. Hearing from you makes it all worthwhile!


	8. Chapter 8 Beverly

CHAPTER 8: BEVERLY

Beverly Picard was a career woman. Actually, a lot like Sam Carter before she met Jack O'Neill. Slightly younger than Sam, Beverly had devoted much of her life to the pursuit of scientific knowledge and often found nothing more fascinating and entertaining than a Saturday night at the lab perusing one or another new discovery.

It wasn't that she'd never had a life. She had. A husband, a son, the house and white picket fence, Beverly had enjoyed most of the trappings of middle-America normalcy during her twenties and early thirties. It hadn't lasted. The lure of science and career was too strong and little could be done to interrupt her whole hearted plunge into her chosen field. Her husband felt abandoned and found affection elsewhere. Eventually he left and took their son with him. Beverly could hardly spare a thought to protest at the time.

Of course as the years went on she began to see the error of her ways. Though she wouldn't admit it to anyone, part of her wished she'd taken time for more balance in her life. She loved her career, it fascinated her every waking moment, but it didn't keep her warm at night, it couldn't love her. And it didn't replace the feeling of a child in her arms.

_How foolish we are when we're young_, she often thought, wishing she could have the days back that she'd squandered. Then again, fate had other ideas. Her mother became ill, almost overnight. Within a year she was struggling with significant dementia, needing round the clock supervision. Beverly had cared for her briefly, but knew neither her psyche nor her career could survive the daily stress. So she'd placed her mother in a long term care facility well known for its treatment of patients with dementia.

The care did not come cheaply. Insurance only paid a portion of the fees at this private facility and although Beverly was a top notch researcher in her field, her financial compensation left much to be desired. Still she resolved that her mother would have the best care, whatever it took.

Her world narrowed even more as every moment spent away from work was devoted to time at her mother's residence. Friends and other family members fell by the wayside as did any hopes of a romantic relationship. She wasn't old, but she certainly wasn't getting any younger. She envied the life that Samantha O'Neill enjoyed.

So when an offer appeared that seemed an answer to her hopes and prayers, she took it, very few questions asked.

OoOoOo

(Still in Luke's office …)

"What are you doing?" Jack asked, watching his wife pull out her cell.

"I have a private number for Beverly, one she seldom gave out," she said. "Can't hurt to give it a try."

Sure enough, the number connected. But Sam was certain it wasn't Beverly who answered. The voice was definitely one of a much older woman, someone quite frail from its feeble quality.

"Hello, who's calling me?" the somewhat confused, ailing woman asked.

"Hello, my name is Samantha. I'm trying to find Beverly," Sam said gently. "I'm sorry if I have the wrong number."

"Beverly?" the voice on the other end questioned lightly. "You mean my daughter, Miranda. She never did like her given name, always wanted to be called something else," the older lady said. "This is her phone, she left it with me. Do you know my little girl?"

"Yes, I do. I work with her," Sam said. "It's very important that I find her right away. Do you know where she is?"

"Who is it you're looking for?" Beverly's mother asked, beginning to loose track of the conversation. As luck would have it, at that point, a nurse's aide walked into Mrs. Picard's room and noticed the patient's distress. Mrs. Picard was coherent enough to realize what she had lost to her disease and minded her lapses terribly.

"Please talk to this woman," she asked the nurse. "She's looking for someone I don't know."

The aide took the phone and greeted Sam."

"Hello, I'm Mrs. Picard's aide. How can I help you?"

Sam breathed a sigh of relief, hoping this woman might be able to give her some direction.

"I'm trying to locate Mrs. Picard's daughter, Beverly. Do you have any idea where I can find her?"

"Well that's easy enough. We're expecting her for a visit this evening. It's later than usual for her, but she says she'll be arriving about 8 pm."

"Thank you very much, you've been so helpful," Sam said. "Can you tell me exactly where your facility is located?"

OoOoOo

As she pulled into the parking lot of her mother's residence, Beverly Miranda Picard breathed a sigh of relief. She'd arrived in time for a visit and she'd been able to get away from the bunker, at least for a little while. At the start of all this, she thought her actions would be harmless. She'd get the money she needed and no one would be the wiser. After all, her employer had said he simply needed to evaluate the children's abilities without interfering factors. He'd promised to return them to their parents.

The man she'd seen tonight was different. He'd killed two people for no reason at all. She had no idea what was going on. Actually, she did recognize the strange weapon he'd used from her days at Area 51, but how did the director have access? This man was not going to let Jake and Grace return to their parents. How could she have been so stupid? She'd known him for years. He'd never seemed the sort that would hurt children. _What had happened?_ She asked herself. Of course, she should have asked the question when the plot began months ago, but her eagerness for the money had overridden everything else.

Now she didn't know what to do. Not so long ago, the director had made it clear any betrayal on her part would have dire consequences, not only for herself but for her mother. The man was powerful, no doubt about it. He had several well trained persons at his beck and call. What else he had was anyone's guess. She realized his true plan was far beyond her ken.

OoOoOo

"She'll be at Havenhurst to see her mother this evening at 8 pm," Sam announced as she ended the call. "Jack, I think Beverly's our best lead right now."

In Luke Sisko's office, surrounded by framed pictures of tiny lives he'd helped save, the dedicated neonatologist and his wife breathed sighs of relief, hoping this meant they were no longer under suspicion in the abduction of their own family members. Of course, Jack O'Neill wasn't so sure.

"Luke, you're certain you know nothing about how this all went down?" he asked, his tone somewhat less hostile.

"Jack, anyone at the hospital will tell you I've been here ungodly hours this past week with some sick premies. Even if I was the evil mastermind you seem to think I am, I'd hardly have time," Luke said, truly discouraged by his brother-in-law's lingering suspicion.

Maureen walked over to where Jack and Sam were sitting arm and arm and sat next to her brother on the sofa. "He had nothing to do with this Jack. Believe me," she said looking the hardened black ops soldier, now a frightened father, in the eye. "If he did, I'd be the first one to tell you. As it is we'll do anything we can to help."

Jack hung his head for only a minute, trying his best to compose himself, seeking strength as he clung to his wife's hand.

"Okay, let's assume I'm an old fool who can't let go of the past, Jack said. "What do you remember about what Beverly was doing around the time you were working for the Trust? Was she in on any of it at all?"

"I remember Beverly being a straight arrow, Jack. She didn't have time for anything but her work. Except maybe her mother. She was pretty dedicated to the lady, a lot like Maureen had been," he said, smiling gently at his wife. "It's possible my handlers didn't believe the story I fed them about the twins' abilities. They may have gone shopping for another mole once I bailed."

Jack and Sam looked at each other, realizing they needed to bring special investigations in on their latest plan. Jack chose to do this by contacting Teal'c, who even now was scouring the site where the van had been found, along with two of Malcolm Barrett's men.

"T, what's happening there?" Jack asked, hoping for some good news.

"Not much, O'Neill," his loyal Jaffa friend answered. "It seems the entire site is without trace of the children. We've searched the neighborhood closest to where the van was found and again, nothing to report."

"We may have something …" Jack announced, trying to sound hopeful as he relayed his plan to catch up with Beverly Picard, now seemingly one of the conspirators, at Havenhurst tonight. Tealc' calmly assured him he would have backup.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9 Trapped

"_We may have something …" Jack announced, trying to sound hopeful as he relayed his plan to catch up with Beverly Picard, now seemingly one of the conspirators, at Havenhurst tonight. Tealc' calmly assured him he would have backup._

CHAPTER NINE: TRAPPED

Jack and Sam made it to Havenhurst by 1945 hours. They were met by Teal'c and his team along with Colonel Scott and Neil Hendricks.

While the others bided their time in a lounge down the hall, the O'Neills did their best to wait patiently in a parlor affording them a clear view of Mrs. Picard's room.

They weren't the only ones waiting.

OoOoOo

Havenhurst was a private, well-kept residence for aging men and women who needed personal care assistance and a degree of supervision in their later years. Nestled in the lower hills outside of Colorado Springs, the building, resembling a high class private residence, was home to no more than twenty residents at a time. Each resident had a spacious private "room" including sleeping area, small kitchenette and salon. Delicious, well balanced meals were provided in an elegant dining area. Rooms were arranged in a circular fashion around a central area which featured richly furnished parlors for entertaining guests.

Walking into the tastefully decorated facility where she planned to spend time with her mother tonight, Beverly Picard had no idea what was in store for her. As she headed towards her mother's room, she was surprised to see a couple waiting in the adjoining parlor. At this hour, there were few if any visitors at Havenhurst. Coming closer to her destination, she could have sworn the woman looked familiar. _It couldn't be. She must be here visiting someone else. I have to get into Mom's room quickly and not let her see me, _she thought, as she recognized Samantha O'Neill.

Too late. As she reached for the doorknob of her mother's room, Beverly felt a strong hand clasp over her own. Looking up into the dark, forbidding eyes of a large, well muscled stranger, she was momentarily frightened. Before she could react further, she heard her name called.

"Beverly, we need to talk with you." It was Sam speaking.

There was nowhere to go. The large man was standing directly to one side of her, while Sam and a man she assumed was General O'Neill came at her from the opposite direction. She'd just have to pull this off. After all, she didn't have to tell them anything.

"Sam, I haven't seen you in ages! What are you doing here?" Beverly said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Initially taken aback by her co-worker's light, friendly voice, Sam quickly regained her focus. "Something's happened. Jack and I need to talk with you," she said, even as Teal'c began to steer the woman to the sitting area at the end of the hall.

"I've only got a minute or two," Bev protested. "I'm here to see my mom and it's getting late."

"So you were too busy to get here earlier?" Jack announced as much as asked while the group sat down.

"What is this about?" Beverly asked, already knowing it was time for some quick thinking. _How did they connect me to this, or have they? I thought for sure alerting them about the stolen files would throw them off my track. They have to believe I'm on their side. They have to believe me, _she thought

Once everyone had taken their seats, Sam began, "Someone took the twins. We don't know where they are."

"That's horrible!" Beverly exclaimed, realizing more and more that indeed it was. "I was afraid something like that might happen."

"See that's just it," Jack said. "Your prints were found in a van at the site of the abduction."

Sam flashed her husband a look of caution. They'd agreed on the ride over that Sam would take charge of questioning her colleague. Sam felt she had some connection with the woman and feared Jack's approach could frighten her into silence.

Jack took the hint and swallowed hard to avoid further comment. Sam took over.

"We have to find them, Beverly. I know you'd never want to hurt them. Please help us," Sam pleaded invitingly.

Beverly wasn't ready for this. As envious as she was of Samantha O'Neill's life, she'd never set out to cause the pain that was so clear in the woman's eyes right now. Her colleague, even her friend, was in the throes of the worst nightmare a mother could face. And it was largely her fault. What had she been thinking when she signed on for this? She had to make it right.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I never thought it would go this far …" she began.

As the O'Neills sensed a glimmer of hope, a shot rang out. Beverly slumped forward, bleeding profusely from a bullet wound to her side. Jack moved quickly to aid her before she could fall to the floor. While Teal'c and his team took off in pursuit of the gunman, Sam called for help. Once the emergency team had been summoned, the twins' mother returned to the side of her colleague, turned torturer.

"Beverly, tell us where they are… Please," Sam pleaded, as she watched the woman struggling with the pain of her injury.

Through her shock and tears, Beverly looked up at the O'Neills as the medical team made its appearance. "Sam…look for …," Beverly tried to alert her. Before she could finish, the pain overwhelmed her and she lost consciousness. By then the EMTs were pushing the O'Neills out of the way, jockeying for position to treat their patient.

OoOoOo

With Jack's insistence and Special Investigations' blessing, Beverly Picard was transported to the Air Force Academy Hospital. Though it seemed everyone wanted to talk with her about the likely identity of the kidnappers and her assailant, it would be some time before she was out of surgery and in any shape to offer accurate information.

For the professional agents from Special Investigations and the NID, this was a frustrating turn of events. For Jack and Sam, it was one more twist of the knife that had been stuck in their hearts early this morning. Standing in the surgical waiting room, after the most recent update from the resident on call, everyone realized there'd be no further leads forthcoming tonight. Teal'c insisted on staying at the hospital with his NID team members, awaiting any change in her condition.

It was now 2330 hours. In spite of the adrenaline coursing through her system, Sam was exhausted, slumping against Jack's shoulder as the resident returned to the operating room. Jack reached out to steady her with strong arms and a concern born of his own love and exhaustion.

"Hey, what do you say we get some sleep? We've got nothing else to go on until Beverly wakes up," Jack said, as he turned Sam to face him.

"I can't sleep without knowing they're safe, Jack," Sam protested weakly.

"Come on, we're going to Janet's," Jack said, ignoring her protests. "Teal'c will call if there's any news here. We'll only be twenty minutes away," he reasoned. "Besides, we can kiss Jon goodnight."

TBC

* * *

A/N: As you can tell, I've had a little extra time over the past week. Holiday events are done and I'm getting anxious to bring this story to conclusion. One or two more plot twists to go till the end. Love to know how you think I'm doing. Too confusing? What do you think?

Please review


	10. Chapter 10 Pain

"_I can't sleep without knowing they're safe, Jack," Sam protested weakly._

"_Come on, we're going to Janet's," Jack said, ignoring her protests. "Teal'c will call if there's any news here. We'll only be twenty minutes away," he reasoned. "Besides, we can kiss Jon goodnight."_

CHAPTER TEN: PAIN

Jack barely heard his wife's continued protests during the first half of the twenty minute drive to the Jackson home. As for Sam, she quickly tired of arguing and simply sat staring out the window once she realized Jack was totally ignoring her complaints.

A man of action, Jack O'Neill, Ambassador to the Asgard, was at war with himself. He didn't know where to go or what to do in this, the most important search of his life. The best investigative teams on the planet were looking for his children with nary a lead to go on. All he could do now was make certain his pregnant wife rested before the worry and frustration started all over again tomorrow.

The Jacksons lived closer to the Academy Hospital than the O'Neills. With any luck, Janet would still be up to let them in. He'd be surprised if Daniel were home. Then again, Daniel's team probably hadn't gotten much further than his own. To Jack's way of thinking, there was plenty of frustration to go around tonight.

Sure enough, as Jack pulled the SUV into his friend's driveway, Daniel was just getting out of his own vehicle, while Janet came to the door. The doctor met her unexpected visitors with a warm smile, immediately inviting them in.

"Come on in, all of you," Janet called. "The temperature's gone down so fast. It's freezing. I'll get you something warm."

Janet instinctively realized Jack had brought Sam here to be close to Jon as much as anything else.

"He's right down the hall, Sam," Janet said softly to her friend, "fast asleep. Take your time. I'll get some warm drinks ready." And turning to Jack, "You know where the guest room is. We're here if you need us."

Both parents made their way to Jon, before even removing their wraps. Hand in hand, they stood by the toddler's bed, relieved to find him safe and sound. As she stroked her baby's hair, careful not to wake him, Sam's tears fell unguarded. Taking in the peace on his son's face and sensing the tremor of fear coursing through his wife's body, Jack too was overcome with emotion. Wrapping his arm around Sam's shoulder, Jack pulled her close to his side. That was all it took to open the flood gates for both of them. Once Sam realized Jack as crying as well, she decided it was time to leave Jon's room before they woke him.

"Come on, let's go to bed. Janet and Daniel will understand," Sam said, grateful for friends who would need no explanation.

Jack silently nodded, smothering the sobs that threatened, as they made their way to the guest room

OoOoOo

Jack and Sam O'Neill had faced many challenges over the years. Many of these involved the fate of the planet if not the universe. But all of them paled in comparison to the abduction of their children. This was personal on the most basic of all levels. It called for reserves of strength and courage even Jack O'Neill wasn't sure he had. There were days he was certain Sam was much stronger emotionally than he ever dreamt of being. This was one of those times he needed her strength more than ever.

General O'Neill was expected to be strong. Tough as nails, impervious to pain and fear, in short, black ops all the way. Fortunately, at this moment, Jack found himself with the one person who didn't expect that bullet proof persona. With Sam it was okay to be himself. Sad when he was sad, frightened when he was frightened, angry when he was angry. She loved him, with all his imperfections. After all these years, that level of acceptance still puzzled him. He only hoped she would always feel the same unconditional love _from_ him.

Sitting down on the bed, still fully clothed and clearly exhausted, Jack began. "I miss them."

Without turning towards him, still staring straight ahead, Sam reached out and took her husband's cold, clammy hand in her own.

"I know, I miss them too," she said softly. "It's dark and we don't know where they are. They must be so frightened."

Jack could see Sam's tears glistening in the soft light of the room. He reached out gently with his other hand to touch her face, turning it towards him. "We'll find them. It's going to take some time, but we _will_ find them, Sam."

"I know we will," she answered with a faint smile. Then with a mother's voice, "but right now they're alone and scared. We've always been there to help them feel safe." Pausing for a moment, almost unable to speak, she whispered, "They're so little."

"They're our kids, Sam. That means something, you know," Jack said.

"Smart and resourceful, right?" Sam remarked, hopefully.

"Absolutely," Jack agreed. "And they know we'll find them."

After a few moments of silence, Sam shared her thoughts. "Remember the time they were lost at the mall?"

"Remember? I think I needed another trip to the sarcophagus after that one!" Jack said with a smirk.

That remark nearly drew a giggle from Sam, even at a moment like this. "Five years old and they decided to take off on their own. I can't believe we took our eyes off them long enough."

"Didn't take long. Those two are pretty determined once they've made up their minds," Jack observed on a deep breath.

"And that day they were pretty bored with looking at baby clothes for Jon, if I remember," Sam added.

"We should've known they'd be in the toy store," Jack went on.

"Two hours of looking for them, and then Grace's voice over the loudspeaker," Sam recalled. "I still don't know how she got that security guard to let _her_ make the announcement."

"That was something all right. 'If you've seen my mommy and daddy, please bring them to Toyworld. They're lost and I'm looking for them,' Jack said, doing his best to imitate his daughter's little girl voice. "Went something like that, if I recall."

Jack was rewarded with a bittersweet smile from the love of his life. It was short lived.

"What if .." Sam began, squeezing Jack's hand as if she'd never let go.

Jack gently held two fingers against Sam's lips, fixing her with his eyes. "We're not doing that Sam. No what ifs. We'll keep looking for Grace and Jake as long as it takes, until they're here with us again. No ifs. Okay?"

Sam nodded almost imperceptibly, her eyes remaining locked with her husband's. They had to find the children alive and well. The alternative was too painful to consider.

oOoOo

In the darkened room where the twins were held, all was silence for a few moments. It had been an hour since they'd had a visitor. There'd been some soothing music earlier, obviously piped in through a sound system. But now all was quiet and the lights had dimmed as though someone were telling them it was time for bed.

For all his bravado, Jake didn't like this one bit and the idea of sleeping in this situation made him really scared. He could tell from watching his twin sister that she wasn't feeling much better about it. At this rate, they'd be wide awake all night. Young as he was, even Jake knew that wouldn't help if there was an opportunity to escape the next day.

"I've been thinking," Grace announced solemnly. What if we use our ability to help us get out of here, like when Miranda comes back?"

"We're not going to hurt her, are we?" Jake asked with concern.

"Of course not, silly! We'll just take the key away and make her let us out," Grace said.

"But Mom and Dad said never to use the ability unless they told us it was alright," Jake protested.

"I don't think they would mind this time," Grace said, wondering how her twin could be so dense.

"You're right. So what do we do?"

"Well, we can't sleep, so let's practice. I'm going to move your sleeping bag to the other side of the room."

With that, the blond third-grader focused on the bag and visualized it leaving its spot on the floor, moving effortlessly. Nothing happened. Surprised but undeterred, she closed her eyes tightly and thought again, certain she was simply out of practice.

"It's moving!" Jake observed excitedly. Opening her eyes, Grace saw that was true, but hardly worth much excitement. The bag now hung limply, no more than six inches off the ground, suspended in mid air and showing no signs of going further.

"You try," Grace encouraged her twin, discouraged that very little had happened using a talent she'd remembered to be nothing short of miraculous.

Jake tried, with pretty much the same less than miraculous results.

And in an observation room, not far away, the director nodded with appreciation. "Ah …now that is what I've wanted to see. It's working just as it should."

OoOoOo

By all measures, Samantha O'Neill was an extraordinary woman. A world renowned scientist, a master soldier and strategist, and a beautiful wife and mother, she'd excelled at most everything she'd ever attempted. Like her husband, she'd been schooled in the fine art of repressing or shielding her emotions for the sake of propriety and the mission at hand. But tonight, none of that mattered. Her children were missing.

Glancing at the glowing clock face in the darkened guest room, Sam was surprised to see she'd actually drifted off to sleep for a couple of hours. Of course, she'd been exhausted, but didn't think she'd be able to do much more than close her eyes. _Okay,_ she thought, _Jack was probably right. We'll be more use to them rested than asleep on our feet._

Sam could fell Jack was tightly spooned behind her in the bed, his right arm holding her close. She realized how fortunate she was to have Jack O'Neill by her side. She could make it through most anything with the strength of his love. She only prayed she'd be able to support him through this as well.

In the midst of her reflection, Sam was startled as Jack suddenly pulled away from her. She turned, only to witness the now familiar aftermath of one of her husband's worst nightmares.

"No!" Jack screamed, bolting upright in bed, a fine sheen of sweat prominent on his brow. "Charlie !!"

Sitting up behind her husband, Sam sat quietly, watching his frame frozen in place. It had been a long time since Jack suffered a nightmare about Charlie's death. He'd been happy. Sure he dreamt of his first born from time to time, but she could tell those dreams had been different, not focused on the moments of horror he'd never forget or the terrible feelings of guilt that had plagued him for so long. But now, tonight, she knew things were different.

Once Jack's shoulders began to sag, Sam knew it was time to offer comfort. Slowly wrapping her arms around him from behind, she whispered his name.

"Jack, I'm here…"

TBC

* * *

A/N: Thanks for continuing to read and for your comments. Glad there is still interest in the story.

Please review and let me know your thoughts about this chapter.

Next chapter brings an old friend round to help the O'Neills.


	11. Chapter 11 Friends

_Once Jack's shoulders began to sag, Sam knew it was time to offer comfort. Slowly wrapping her arms around him from behind, she whispered his name._

"_Jack, I'm here…"_

FRIENDS

After Jack's nightmare, the O'Neills decided getting more sleep was out of the question. It was 0500 and they were wide awake.

Before getting out of bed, Jack checked in with Teal'c by phone. To his dismay, Jack's trusted and equally frustrated Jaffa friend had little if any useful information to share. Beverly had come out of surgery no more than an hour ago. Homeworld operatives had taken possession of her computer files, searching both her home and office from top to bottom. Other than suspicious encrypted e-mails, they'd found nothing; nothing that is besides large deposits to her typically depleted savings account.

Ending the call, Jack sighed, cast a half-hearted grin to his wife and shook his head.

"Let's go."

They must have looked a sight, the two of them coming downstairs still in the clothes they'd worn yesterday, Jack badly needing a shave. Sam had suggested coffee before they showered and made their way back to the hospital. To their surprise, the aroma of the freshly brewed nectar met them as they entered the Jacksons' kitchen.

"Good morning, you two," Janet said. "Couldn't sleep, thought I'd make coffee. Oh, and by the way Jack, I found a visitor on my doorstep. I think you're acquainted."

"And who might that be?"

"Go see for yourself. He's in the den with Daniel," Janet said, handing him a mug of steaming coffee.

"Go ahead," Sam said, "I'll work on breakfast with Janet."

With a quick nod and few words, Jack's curiosity got the better of him. Wondering who might have shown up at this ungodly hour, he made his way to Daniel's study. Finding the door ajar, he walked in unannounced.

"I don't believe it," he said, catching sight of the familiar, long missing face. "You old spook! How did you hear about this?"

"I still have my contacts, Jack. Paradise isn't all it's cracked up to be, you know," the visitor, one Harry Maybourne, said.

"I wouldn't know, Harry. I've never had a harem waiting on me hand and foot," Jack quipped, easily falling back into their familiar banter.

"They'll be there when I get back," the aging soldier, spy, and apparently bored king assured him. "Anyway, I heard a friend of mine was in trouble; thought I might be able to help."

"Some goons took the twins," Jack supplied, his expression suddenly somber. "There's a woman from Sam's lab involved, but I doubt it was her idea. She's just coming out of surgery. Other than that, we've got nothing."

"No other leads, information?"

"Nada, my friend. Might as well have vanished."

"Who's leading the investigation?"

"Joint effort: Air Force Special Investigations, Homeworld Security and NID."

"Pretty heady group," Maybourne said thoughtfully. "Be careful, Jack. Things aren't what they seem at the NID. Something's off, has been for awhile. I know Barrett says everything's cleaned up, but it's not right. Haven't been able to put my finger on it, but it's not right."

"Maybourne, you've been living on another planet for crying out loud! Of course you haven't been able to 'put your finger on it'."

"Same old O'Neill; I've missed you," Harry Maybourne said with sincerity. "Sorry we don't have the luxury of getting reacquainted. As I said, I have my sources. Not having always been the straight arrow type has its advantages."

"So what's going on? The Trust? I thought we'd taken them out a few years back," Jack enquired.

"I think you're right, Jack. The Trust as we knew it is gone. Whatever's going on is bigger, more insidious than the Trust ever was. And its cover is impressive as well. Believe me, I know," Harry replied with his best authoritative voice.

"So what do you think _is _going on? And how are my kids involved?"

"What's going on? Don't know. How are your kids involved? Don't play dumb, Jack. If I know about their telekinesis, so does whatever little elite group replaced the Trust."

"And how the hell do you know? You were …"

"I know, on another planet. I told you I have my sources," the somewhat older man said impatiently. "Seriously, Jack, those kids are worth a fortune to a lot of people. We have to start narrowing down the possibilities."

OoOoOo

In the kitchen, Janet and Sam had started a hearty breakfast. Neither of the women had an appetite; Janet hoped she could get Jack and Sam to eat something and Sam just wanted to keep busy.

"How are you holding up, Sam?" Janet asked kindly, knowing the question was inherently rhetorical, even foolish.

"I've never been this scared in my life, Janet," Sam admitted. "But I can't give in to that feeling. We're going to find them." Sam looked away, concentrating intently on the eggs she was cracking, refusing to let the fear take over.

Janet placed a supportive hand on her good friend's shoulder, squeezing gently. Sam smiled at the gesture and grasped her friend's hand warmly.

"And now we get on with it, Janet," her friend and superior officer continued. "Let's get this mess in shape."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Janet snapped with a knowing smile. There might come a time when comfort would be necessary, but for now all her friend could do was focus on action.

At that moment, little Jon crept softly down the stairs, no doubt awoken by the smell of bacon and the sound of his mother's voice.

"Mommy?" he called from the door of the kitchen, a bit confused about where he'd woken up.

Sam quickly put down her mixing bowl and took off her apron. She wasted no time in reaching her little boy and picking him up in her arms.

"Good morning, Jon," she said warmly, hugging the him snuggly against her chest.

"Hi Mommy," Jon replied, instantly at ease in his mother's arms. No more than a moment later Daniel, Jack and Maybourne entered the kitchen as well. Understandably, Sam was as surprised as Jack to see Harry Maybourne.

"Look what the cat dragged in, Sam," Jack said with a half smirk.

"Harry," she said, remembering her husband's strange fondness for the man she still found less than trustworthy.

"Enough of this," Janet said, interrupting the greetings. "Time's a' wasting, everyone's obviously awake and breakfast in ready. There's more than enough for everybody."

OoOoOo

Thirty minutes later, while Jack was in the shower, Sam's cell rang.

"Carter," she answered sharply.

"Sam, it's Malcolm. Calling to see how you're doing this morning."

"Well, we're up and headed to the hospital any minute now. Is there any news?"

"Actually, that's why I called. My agents recovered encrypted files from Picard's computer. The encryption is quite sophisticated, as far as we can tell, beyond Picard's skill set. There's one in particular I'd like you to take a look at. If you don't mind, I'll meet you at the hospital with a laptop and you can take a shot at it."

"I'll see you there in twenty," Sam replied. "Malcolm," she continued, almost as an afterthought, "do you think someone in the agency…"

Knowing where she was going with this, Barrett cut her off. "We'll talk Sam. See you in twenty."

Less than five minutes later, Jack, Sam, and Maybourne were in the O'Neill SUV on their way to the hospital.

"So Barrett's meeting you there?" Maybourne observed quizzically. "A little odd for the NID director to be so hands on, I'd say."

"He's been a family friend for years, Harry," Sam replied. "He'll do anything he can to help. What?" she said, noticing the less than comfortable look on the face of Jack's friend. "You don't like Malcolm much, do you?"

"It's not that, Samantha," Harry answered, feeling Jack's eyes on him through the rear view mirror. "Barrett's okay in my book. Always was a good agent. Sure I haven't worked with him for awhile. As your husband keeps reminding me, I have been on another planet for several years. But director of the NID? Its not the Malcolm Barrett I knew. Never could figure out how somebody who loved the action ended up with a desk job."

Sam could almost feel Jack raise his eyebrows at that one. If Maybourne couldn't figure it out, she knew her husband could. He and Malcolm were two of a kind when it came to promotions that were beyond their ambitions. Her husband and her good friend, both men of action, had voluntarily taken positions somewhat distanced from the action they loved. She knew Jack's reasons. Maybe someday, she'd ask Malcolm about his.

The SUV pulled into the hospital parking garage exactly twenty minutes after Sam had ended her phone conversation with Barrett.

"Okay, let's go," Jack said, getting out and securing the vehicle.

"If it's all the same, Jack, I'll skip the tearful reunion with security and the agents in the hospital," Harry said. "No telling who'll decide to take me in. Still a wanted man you know."

"Leaving again so soon, Harry?" Jack asked rhetorically.

"I'll be in touch, Jack. Be careful," Maybourne replied. And with his usual cryptic goodbye, the man vanished into the twists and turns of the underground garage.

TBC

* * *

A/N: I'm really missing some of the emails, alerts etc from the site. I'm also wanting to respond to some of the reviews, but don't think the replies are getting through either. Anyway, thanks so much to everyone taking time to review. Lets me know you're interested in the characters. Also, your thoughts often give me new ideas for the story.

Please continue to read and review! Thanks.


	12. Chapter 12 Sabotage

"_Leaving again so soon, Harry?" Jack asked rhetorically._

"_I'll be in touch, Jack. Be careful," Maybourne replied. And with his usual cryptic goodbye, the man vanished into the twists and turns of the underground garage._

CHAPTER 12: SABOTAGE

At the Air Force Academy Hospital, it was change of shift. The day shift was just coming on and taking report from the night nurses. It was a routine followed in most hospitals across the country and a perfect opportunity for someone intent on causing harm.

In the recovery room, Beverly Picard was starting to come out of the anesthesia. Still groggy, she turned her head trying to decipher her surroundings, hoping for a familiar face. Sure enough, she found the form of a man in a white coat at her bedside. Naturally she assumed it was one of the doctors come to check on her condition. Her mouth was dry and her throat sore from the endotracheal tube that had been used during surgery. Rather than try to speak, she concentrated on bringing the man's face into focus. It didn't take long before she recognized his all too familiar features.

"No," she whispered hoarsely. With a dawning horror she recognized the director standing over her, a hypodermic poised in his hand next to the injection port of her intravenous line. In another second, he'd injected whatever liquid was contained in the syringe.

"Not yet, my dear. I'm not quite ready for you to wake up just yet," the man whispered in her ear.

Soon all was blackness once again.

OoOoOo

Jack and Sam arrived at the main entrance of the hospital about twenty-five minutes after leaving the Jackson home. Making their way to the recovery room, they were met by Malcolm Barrett.

Flanked by two senior NID agents, Barrett looked the epitome of professionalism and leadership. Seeing him now, Sam was impressed yet again by the changes she'd seen in her friend over the past ten years. From the fairly young mid-level agent, who'd been clearly smitten with her, to the prestigious director of a national intelligence agency, he'd clearly taken a fast track to the top of his field. She had to admit his rapid rise to prominence had come as a surprise; she'd never known the man to covet a top administrative position. But from what she could see the position and the responsibility had been good for him. He didn't look much older than when she'd first met him. She actually found herself a bit envious.

"Thanks for coming, Malcolm," Sam said, grateful that a man with so many diverse responsibilities chose to remain personally involved with the case. "I'm eager to see what you've got."

"Hey, we're friends, Sam," he said. "I told you I'd be keeping a handle on this investigation."

"Thanks, we appreciate it, "Jack said.

Before they could discuss the information Barrett had brought with him, the O'Neills and their NID friends sighted a medical team running full speed to one cubicle in the recovery area.

"Code Blue, Code Blue, Recovery, Room 3," the intercom proclaimed. "Dr. Micheals to recovery stat; Respiratory to recovery stat," the disembodied voice summoned the necessary personnel.

"Beverly?" Sam asked aloud.

Stepping up to the nurses' station, Sam found that the resuscitation team had indeed been dispatched to their prime suspect's bedside.

OoOoOo

Twenty minutes later, Beverly's medical team had left the room. Slightly behind them was yet another team, apparently transferring the researcher turned kidnapper to the intensive care unit. In their wake, Beverly's physician came out to brief the waiting security agents.

"Ms. Picard arrested at 0900. We managed to restart her heart, but the rhythm remains irregular and she'll require close monitoring over the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours."

"Will she come out of this?" Barrett asked.

"There is every reason to believe she'll recover, but I'll admit, we didn't see this coming. Her operative course was uneventful. We'll keep you posted."

"When will we be able to talk with her?" Jack asked.

"When she's awake and _stable_," the surgeon said emphatically. Then with a slightly softer tone, "Sorry, I can't do any better."

Sam's shoulders sagged noticeably at the news. Beverly was their only real lead at this point. The longer she was unable to talk with them, the longer the twins would be beyond their reach.

Jack's frustration level was rising as well. Sitting and waiting had never been his strong suit. Now he found himself wanting to break something, or better yet, someone.

"So Barrett, seems like we'll have to depend on you to have something we can use in those computer files," the frustrated, frightened father said, gesturing toward the laptop Malcolm was carrying.

"I'm hoping I have just what we need, General. But to be clear, the files we've already decoded don't tell us very much," Barrett replied, as though hoping to manage expectations. "They're mostly financial plans between Ms. Picard and her brother, discussing ways to plan for their mother's care, bank statements and emails to friends about how desperate she was for money.

"Doesn't sound like those are going take us far, except for motive," Jack said.

"Then again, we have the files I've brought for Samantha to examine," Barrett added on a more hopeful tone. The encoding was different on these and so far our technicians have been unable to break it. They're going to keep working on it, but I'm hoping your resources at the SGC will give you an edge. I have to assume the intricate encryption was for a reason. I'm hoping they can lead us to whoever's behind the abduction."

"Me too, Malcolm," Sam said with a sigh. "I'm hoping this is what we need."

OoOoOo

Jake and Grace had finally gone to sleep, very disappointed their telekinetic abilities seemed so weakened. They were surprised and confused. Sure they hadn't used the ability for some time, but why would it be so diminished now? Just when they needed the ability to help them, it seemed to have disappeared.

When they woke, it was to find a man they hadn't seen before, bringing in a breakfast tray. He seemed kindly enough, but they couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Miranda.

In response to Jake's question about her, the man replied coldly, "She will not be returning; now eat your breakfast. The director will be here to see you later today."

Not much for visiting, the man was gone within a few moments.

The twins had been away from the safety of their parents for more than twenty-four hours. They really didn't feel like eating breakfast. The man had brought oatmeal and juice.

"What is this? Jake asked."

"I think it's oatmeal," Grace answered, sticking her finger in it tentatively.

"It doesn't look like Mom's oatmeal," Jake said, making his trademark 'that's disgusting' face. Seconds later, he looked up to see tears leaking silently from his sister's eyes.

"It's okay, Grace. We'll find a way to get out of here," he said, trying to reassure himself as much as his sister.

Neither twin ate or drank a thing that morning. When the man came back for the tray, he wouldn't have known it; they'd employed one of their favorite tactics for avoiding food they didn't like – with two flushes, it was gone.

OoOoOo

The O'Neills quickly realized Beverly Crusher would likely be unavailable to them for some time. So after two Homeworld Security agents accompanied by Daniel arrived to keep watch, they made their way back to the SGC.

Hoping against hope, Sam secreted herself in her lab. Within minutes she'd pulled up the most widely used encryption tablets known to the SGC. Actually these included some codes not widely known outside the top secret facility and one confined only to messages involving the President. In her head, she couldn't imagine what she'd be able to decipher that cryptographers at the NID had been unable to decode. But in her heart, she prayed for the breakthrough that came only moments after she began her efforts.

The first coded message provided by Malcolm had been encrypted using the elite SGC base code. It was so clear! Why hadn't she checked it first? As the true meaning of the mysterious e-mail came through, she read for the first time what appeared to be the mechanics of the plot.

The person writing to Beverly suggested the abductors strike before the children had arrived at school. He'd even made clear the kind of tranquillizer darts that would work best, incapacitating them before anyone was the wiser. Beverly had indicated her understanding and agreement with the plan in short, terse sentences. Finally, the e-mail was signed by the heretofore unknown conspirator: J. O'Neill.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for your continued interest. What do you think about these twists? Any guesses?

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	13. Chapter 13 Confusion

_The person writing to Beverly suggested the abductors strike before the children had arrived at school. He'd even made clear the kind of tranquillizer darts that would work best, incapacitating them before anyone was the wiser. Beverly had indicated her understanding and agreement with the plan in short, terse sentences. Finally, the e-mail was signed by the heretofore unknown conspirator: J. O'Neill._

CHAPTER 13: CONFUSION

Sam couldn't believe her eyes. What was going on?

After seeing her husband's electronic signature clear as day on the incriminating deciphered e-mail, she was speechless. It wasn't possible. Hoping to find this was nothing more than a cosmic joke or clerical error, Sam began her next order of business, checking with the e-mail server to determine the exact location of the second computer.

It wasn't the answer she'd wanted. The trace pointed directly to Jack's temporary office on base, the computer station reserved for his use whenever he was working out of the SGC.

Sam closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, she was relieved to see she had company. Teal'c and Cam had arrived, looking discouraged and frustrated.

"I'm sorry, Sam," Cam Mitchell began. "We got nothin'".

"Indeed," Teal'c continued, feeling compelled to clarify his colleague's brief statement. "We have found nothing new to aid us in our search."

Tightly closing her eyes for a moment, Sam paused. "I may have something. I've decrypted the files Malcolm gave me at the hospital."

"Well that's good news, right?" Cam said hopefully. "You don't look too glad about it."

"The e-mail detailing the abduction plan is signed J. O'Neill," Sam explained, a look of confusion clouding her features.

"You know O'Neill would never harm his children," Teal'c said with certainly, hunching over to examine the file. "And he would never purposely cause you this worry."

"I do know that Teal'c," Sam said, looking at her long time friend. "But how do we explain the e-mail? It was encrypted using an SGC code even the NID doesn't have."

"Is it possible Jack's been compromised?" Cam asked

Sam paled at the thought. "I would've known; he hasn't been off world in months, since before the cruise in fact," she said, glancing at Teal'c for confirmation.

"That is correct. It has been several months since General O'Neill undertook an off-world mission," he agreed.

While Teal'c and Cam shared Samantha O'Neill's angst at the latest discovery, Jack had made his way to the lab to check on his wife.

"What'cha got?" he said, struggling to keep his tone light.

"A problem," Cam was quick to volunteer.

"No kidding," Jack quipped. "What now?"

"I deciphered the file Malcolm left with me," Sam began. "It's details an electronic conversation between Beverly and someone helping her plan the abduction. It's signed 'J. O'Neill'."

Jack stood there, staring blankly at his wife. "What?" he questioned in his trademark less than pleasant tone.

"Samantha has determined the message was sent from your computer," Teal'c added solemnly. "There is something very much the matter here, O'Neill."

"Yeah, I'd say so," Jack said flatly. "My kids are missing and someone's playing with us."

OoOoOo

Later that afternoon, the men who'd taken the twins in the first place made an appearance.They'd been drafted to oversee the young captives until such time as a more suitable replacement for Beverly could be found. Frankly, babysitting two third graders was not on their list of preferred assignments. But for a price they'd do most anything.

"Okay, lunch is here, you two," the first man said. "You guys need anything else?"

"Are you the director?" Grace asked.

"Yeah, the man this morning said the director would come this afternoon," Jack seconded.

"No, the director's tied up right now, kids. He'll be here soon enough."

"We want to see the one in charge. We want to go home," Grace said defiantly.

"That's not gonna happen, young lady," the second man explained. "You might as well get comfortable. I hear the director has some very interesting plans for you two."

With that, the less than friendly duo departed, leaving lunch for the twins. Hot dogs, macaroni and cheese and milk, actually some of their favorite foods, but neither child was interested in eating.

"How are we getting out of here, Grace?" Jake asked. "I don't want to be here when this director guy comes."

No one was watching the monitors to see the games the children played over the next few hours.

OoOoOo

At the SGC, the investigative teams were in an uproar. The news that one J. O'Neill had penned the critical e-mail traveled quickly. Without much protest, Jack had agreed to one of his least favorite ordeals – a full medical exam by the chief medical officer. It was the only way he could think of to set his wife's mind at ease, reassuring her and everyone else he was still himself.

As Cam and the original SG1 made their way to the infirmary, Sam's mind was racing. What if something, someone, had taken control of her husband? What did that mean? Who had been with her and her children the past few months? What else had he done?

As they walked quickly off the elevator towards the infirmary, she reassured herself that her Jack could never have done this. If the e-mail was genuine, something had influenced her husband, something he couldn't tell her. _Oh, God…_

It hurt. Sam's breath came in short gasps. She stopped in her tracks, hands clutching her abdomen. _No, this can't be happening,_ she thought. _Not now, not again_ …

"Sam…" she heard Jack call, through a haze of pain. In seconds, strong, familiar arms embraced her, holding her up as her legs collapsed beneath her.

Easing her down to the floor, Jack cradled his wife in his arms, while Cam called for emergency medical transport.

"Sam, what is it?" he asked, smoothing the hair away from her face.

"The baby, oh my God, Jack. Don't let me loose this baby."

* * *

A/N: I know this was short, but I plan to have another chapter up this weekend.

Thanks for your reviews.


	14. Chapter 14 Resistance

"_Sam, what is it?" he asked smoothing the hair away from her face._

"_The baby, oh my God, Jack. Don't let me lose this baby."_

14. RESISTANCE

Janet and her medical staff had a busy late afternoon and evening. In addition to the usual run of the mill infirmary visits and emergencies, she'd supervised a comprehension examination of her favorite patient, Jack O'Neill.

As if there wasn't enough to deal with, by the time they'd made it to the infirmary, even Jack was questioning whether he was himself. And Sam, she was on the verge of a miscarriage and barely warding off hysteria.

But by 2200 hours, everything seemed under control once more. Most importantly, as far as Janet was concerned, Sam was resting peacefully, mildly sedated and stable for the moment. More than that, the baby's heart beat was normal and the pains Sam had experienced earlier in the day had been quieted by medication. Be that as it may, Janet had no doubt that the exhaustion and stress of the kidnapping has contributed to the scare.

Jack's evaluation was coming to an end as well. In fact, the General/Ambassador was even now returning from his PET scan. The final piece of information from the man's exhaustive examination had shown no abnormalities. As far as medical science could determine, Jack O'Neill was Jack O'Neill. There were no signs of alien influence on any of the tests Janet Frasier Jackson had thrown at him.

"Doc, how is she?" Jack's voice boomed as he reached the doorway.

"Resting comfortably, Jack," his friend responded. "They're both out of danger for the time being."

"Thank you," he replied, having reached his wife's bedside. "What do we have to do to keep it that way?"

"Well, I'm not at the point of prescribing bed rest just yet. But she needs to slow down. None of us are as young as we used to be. The pregnancy and the stress are too much, even for Sam. I know she'll protest, but I want her to stay close to home or the base over the next few months and minimize the physical demands of her work."

"Well that's easier said than done," Jack said, stating the obvious.

"Jack?" Sam called sleepily, responding to the sound of familiar voices.

"I'm right here, honey," he said, reaching for and squeezing her hand. "Janet says you and the baby are both okay."

Jack's words were rewarded with a wan smile. Sam was fairly groggy and her words slightly slurred. "Remember what it was like to have a baby in the house?" she asked dreamily.

"Hey, it wasn't that long ago!"

"You know what I mean," she said. "The kids, they're growing up so quickly."

"They are, no doubt about it," Jack said with a half grin. "I remember when our little chatterboxes could hardly talk, let alone pronounce anything."

"I remember," Sam said on a whisper. What was it they called General Hammond?"

"I think I've forgotten that one. But I remember how glad I was they could call Teal'c, T. I was afraid what else they might have come up with," Jack said.

"Oh, and Malcolm, remember the first few times Malcolm came over?" Sam asked.

"How could I forget? His face said it all! The kids' name for him was "Bawry" if I remember correctly."

"Yeah, it was about as close as they could get. Kinda stuck too, didn't it?"

"Yes, it did. That's our kids, renaming everyone and everything. They will run the world some day, you know, Sam."

With that both their smiles faded and the distraught parents surrendered once again to the frightening reality of their situation.

Sam pleaded, "Where are they Jack? Why can't we find them?"

OoOoOo

In the director's bunker …

The twins had drifted off to sleep. They'd had a long day. They were tired and hungry. But they had a plan.

After the "bad men" had left them that afternoon, they'd entertained themselves with follow up tests of their telekinesis. Grace couldn't believe their ability had diminished to such an extent. Her young scientific mind was convinced another factor must be at play. With her encouragement, Jake had joined her in one more test. That one led to others throughout the late afternoon and evening. The children's excitement had grown as they watched the strength of their ability return incrementally throughout the evening. With their minds wandering back to their training by Oma and Beth, they created quite the show in their little cell, with the meager, purposefully soft-sided furnishings floating to and fro, sometimes randomly, sometimes with specific direction. Fortunately, the "bad men" were the only conspirators left in charge of the bunker that night and they'd failed to police the monitor. Truth be told, these two bore a strong resemblance to the hapless villains in the classic Christmas film, Home Alone.

"Remember the story Dad told us about the mission where he was captured?" Jake asked.

"Mom and Dad were always getting captured," Grace replied impatiently. "Which one?"

"The one where they found out their food had been drugged," Jake clarified. "Do you think...?"

Grace sat quietly for a moment considering the past two days. The little girl, like her brother wise beyond her years, had to admit it was a distinct possibility. What if there was a way to damp down the ability, to stop it from working? If these men knew about the ability, they certainly wouldn't want them to use it to escape. And the only way to avoid that possibility was to suppress the ability.

"No more food, and you can't drink anything, Jake," she said.

"What?" he complained, in a strident whine reminiscent of their father.

"We can't take any chances. We'll need the ability to escape…"

OoOoOo

The next morning, it was time. "Mean and meaner", as the twins had secretly dubbed "the bad men", had been instructed to prepare the twins for travel. The director was ready to move them for the next phase of his plan. His henchmen had little idea what that plan entailed and even less understanding that their employer had no intent of leaving them alive to talk about it.

Blindly following orders, content with the huge compensation promised them for their troubles, the two men approached the children's cell. It was time to remove them from confinement for transport to a second pre-arranged location where the director would meet them. Seemed like a pretty soft assignment. After all, how much resistance could two eight-year-olds offer? Sure they'd been warned about some special ability the kids had used in the past, but the big boss assured them that had been neutralized.

Without a second thought, the men walked, unarmed, into the twins' room. "Okay, time to get a move on," Mean said casually. "You've got someone waiting to meet you."

"Where are you taking us?" Jake asked

"If you must know, you're going to meet the director," Meaner supplied. "From there, it's anybody's guess and we get paid."

"We're not going anywhere till we see our parents," Grace said emphatically.

"Really?" Meaner said in his meanest tone. "We'll just have to see about that," he said, winking to his accomplice. _Why do these kids insist on doing this the hard way?_ He thought.

Positioning themselves to corner the small children and carry them out by force, the two men made their move. Lunging at Jake and Grace from two directions, Mean and Meaner were unceremoniously knocked on their nasty little butts. They landed hard. The shock of the fall was compounded by what met their eyes once they were able to sit up. Their "helpless" captives were now encased in a shimmering circle of light extending from floor to ceiling of the small room. To make things worse, the children were grinning from ear to ear.

* * *

A/N: Promise we're getting closer to a resolution. How do you like Mean and Meaner? Have to admit, I had fun with that.

By the way, if you're interested in a little refresher on the twins' abilities, check out Saving the World .

Please push the little button and review.


	15. Chapter 15 Barry

_Positioning themselves to corner the small children and carry them out by force, the two men made their move. Lunging at Jake and Grace from two directions, Mean and Meaner were unceremoniously knocked on their nasty little butts. They landed hard. The shock of the fall was compounded by what met their eyes once they were able to sit up. Their "helpless" captives were now encased in a shimmering circle of light extending from floor to ceiling of the small room. To make things worse, the children were grinning from ear to ear._

CHAPTER 15: BARRY

Mean and Meaner had no sense of humor. Despite the gravity of the situation, Grace and Jake found it very entertaining to see the two bad men flat on their backs, looks of utter helplessness and astonishment on their less than handsome faces. Stifling giggles and maintaining the force field they'd thrown up around themselves, the twins became more serious when their two captors got to their feet, approaching them with angry, stern expressions.

"Alright, that's enough. We don't have time for this," the taller man said. "The director is waiting and he won't find this one bit amusing."

"We're not going anywhere with you," Grace said from the protection of her impervious shield.

"Fine, we'll do it your way," the second man said, clearly exasperated.

With that the larger of the two left the room leaving Meaner to guard the twins.

"What did you two do?" he asked incredulously.

"We figured it out," Grace replied pleasantly.

"Figured what out?" the man asked, clearly not aware he was no match for the eight-year-old girl.

At that Grace rolled her eyes and shook her head. Meaner was really a poor excuse for a villain. She hoped whoever was in charge was a lot like him. That would make it much easier to get away. While she shared this insight with her twin, Mean returned, his face a mask of frustration and anger. He was carrying what appeared to be a rifle.

Jake swallowed hard, not totally certain their force field would repel the shot fired from the weapon. It was a gun after all and his father always told him guns were very dangerous. He sure wished his father was here now. He'd know what to do; these bad men would be punished for scaring Jake and sister so badly.

"What are you going to do?" Jake asked, his bravado beginning to crumble.

"You'll see," the man said tersely, cocking the rifle. Without another word, shots rang out, directed at the children. To their relief, nothing penetrated their energy field. Tranquillizer darts simply bounced off the surface of the shimmering barrier, much to the chagrin of their captors.

"Damn it," one of the men exclaimed. "What the hell is going on? He didn't say nothin' about this!"

"Didn't say _anything_," the other corrected. "You don't _have to_ sound like the idiot you are, you know." Clearly frustrated and angry about the most recent turn of events and somewhat fearful he might lose out on his payment, the more educated man continued, "We'd better tell him what's going on here, see what he wants us to do."

OoOoOo

At the SGC, Jack O'Neill could feel himself slowly coming apart. His children had been missing going on seventy-two hours. Courtesy of Thor, he transported to Washington for a face to face briefing with the current Chief of Homeworld Security. Apparently NID investigators had been playing nicely, turning over all their decoded materials to the coordinator of the investigation at Homeworld. Under normal circumstances that would have been reason enough to be encouraged; right now Jack O'Neill needed considerably more. He wanted, no, needed, proof of life. He needed his children.

Colonel Anderson Scott and Neil Hendricks had flown in to the Pentagon for this meeting. They had nothing encouraging to report. The immediate vicinity of Colorado Springs had been canvassed with a fine toothed comb. They'd come up empty handed. Their only suspect was still unconscious and the files downloaded from her computer had implicated the one man no one could believe to be involved.

"I believe we need to consider an extraterrestrial suspect," Colonel Scott proposed. "Perhaps even the possibility that the children are no longer on this planet.

"And how do you think they could have left the planet?" Jack said, hoping the man was wrong. "Last time I checked the Stargate was pretty well guarded."

"A cloaked ship, then?" Anderson suggested.

"Thor is in orbit as we speak. If there was anything up there or a recent trace of anything, he would have found it," Jack said with as much certainty as he could muster. "The kids are still here. We just don't know where to look."

"We've sent agents to the Washington NID labs to interview Picard's co-workers. Nothing," Hendricks said. "We need a big break here, Ambassador."

"I know, believe me, I know," Jack answered, running his hands through his hair and silently clenching his teeth.

OoOoOo

Jake and Grace relaxed shortly after their captors left the room. Mean and Meaner were clearly infuriated. It was obvious they were not used to being humiliated by anyone, let alone two children. Frankly, the O'Neill children were surprised they'd given up so quickly. Grace knew her mother would have jury-rigged a way to penetrate or inactivate the field. Of course her mother was a lot smarter than these two.

"What now?" Jake asked his sister, hoping she had another bright idea.

"I guess we wait for Mom and Dad to find us," she said. "I can't see anything in here we could use as a weapon. Besides I don't really want to hurt anyone."

"Grace, how are they going to know where we are?"

"They'll figure something out," she said with surety.

The afternoon stretched on. No one came. The twins were very hungry. Drinking water from the bathroom tap, they'd had no other fluids or nourishment in over twenty-four hours now. Their abstinence had returned their abilities to full strength, but otherwise, they were starting to feel sick.

There was nothing to do in the cell and they'd tired of floating the furnishings around. They were about to take turns, one drifting off to sleep, the other standing guard, when the door opened suddenly and they jumped to their feet. In an instant, the field was in place once again, even before the visitor could be seen.

Standing completely transfixed within the energy field, Jake and Grace held hands, trying to calm each other. Despite their amazing powers, they were terrified. They needed someone to help them get away. Who was coming? Was it the director? Had he come to take over?

When the single visitor made his appearance, their relief was palpable. As he stealthily entered the room, service revolver drawn, clearly assessing the situation for hidden dangers, their good friend made his way toward them. As he did so, they spontaneously lowered the shield and ran to him.

"Barry!" Jake called.

"I'm so glad you're here. Can we go home now?" Grace asked.

"Shh…" he said. "There's no time to waste; let's get out of here before they come back."

Without further ado, with one child on each side of him, Malcolm Barrett, left the confines of the cell and headed out of the bunker.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to all of you for continuing with the story. Hope you're enjoying it. I'm afraid the pace of posting will slow down a bit now that the weekend is over. Rest assured, we're building to a conclusion and the end is in sight. I just need to write it!!

Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks!


	16. Chapter 16 Len

_Without further ado, with one child on each side of him, Malcolm Barrett, left the confines of the cell and headed out of the bunker._

CHAPTER 16: LEN

The director knew Jack O'Neill. He knew him well. This was personal on so many levels.

He knew what made the man who he was. He knew what made him tick. And he knew what could make him unravel. It had almost done the trick before. It certainly could again. The director would take great joy in this man's destruction. He could feel it close at hand.

OoOoOo

By the time Jack finished with the Homeworld Security meeting, he was struck by the enormity of the task ahead and the lack of substantial leads. Taking a moment by himself in an abandoned corner of the Pentagon, he decided to call Sam.

"Carter," she answered, now back at work in her lab, scouring the remainder of the files left by Malcolm.

"How are you?" he asked simply.

"Better now I'm talking with you," she replied, wishing he were with her.

"Me too, Sam. Any news?"

"Nothing very helpful, I'm afraid. Beverly's condition has stabilized but she's still unconscious. Daniel and Teal'c are working with the NID, canvassing everyone Beverly's come in contact with during the past year or so."

"Any word from Barrett?

"Actually, I tried to reach Malcolm earlier today to tell him about the tapes, but he's not answering his phone. I'm not sure what's going on. What about Maybourne?"

"Harry's been flying under the radar since we lost him in the hospital garage," Jack said. "He's out there, I know it. Just can't predict what he's gonna do. Whatever it is, I hope he does it soon."

The line fell silent for a few moments, each parent taking simple comfort in their connection with the other.

"Have you seen Jon since this morning?" Jack asked, breaking the spell.

"No, but I called Janet about an hour ago. Jon's been asking for his brother and sister," Sam said. "I'm heading out to Daniel and Janet's in a few minutes. Will you be back tonight?"

"Not till later, Sam. I have to make a stop. Be back as soon as I can," he said. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes. Do what you need to do," she answered bravely. "I'll be here when you get back."

OoOoOo

Rev. Leonard Kelly had recently been appointed pastor of the Roman Catholic parish in the small, but prosperous town of Chevy Chase, Maryland. The priest, now in the later half of his middle age, had been a classmate of Jack O'Neill at the Air Force Academy many moons ago. The two had been inseparable for much of their college careers, focused on military advancement and moving up in the ranks. Along with three or four other cadets, Len and Jack made a habit of passable grades, heroics and a social life that threatened their fledgling careers.

The two men were great partiers in their younger days. Yes, they worked hard, particularly when it came to the more physical pursuits of the Academy. But the harder they worked, the harder they played. Their reputation for drinking and womanizing, particularly once they were freed of the stringent regulations of the Academy, was the stuff of legend.

Len's calling to the priesthood came out of the blue as far as Jack was concerned. One night his friend was backing him up in a search and rescue black-ops mission in North Vietnam. The next, it seemed, he was mysteriously swept away on a tide of religious fervor Jack would never fully understand.

Over the next few years, Jack and Len had kept in contact from time to time. After Charlie died, all of that ended abruptly. For a long while, Jack was mad at the world and he was furious with God. As far as Jack was concerned, God and his friend Len were painted with the same brush stroke. But once Samantha Carter came into his life, Jack began to let go of that anger. He'd looked up Len, and, as life progressed, contact resumed. Letters, e-mails and an occasional visit had brought the two up-to-date with each other. Once Len met Sam and later the children, he'd breathed a sigh of relief, hoping his cynical, agnostic friend was finally in good hands.

So when Jack O'Neill materialized at the front door of St. Cecilia's rectory, it wasn't totally unprecedented. Len was glad he was home for the spur of the moment visit. As connected as they were, a meeting with Jack O'Neill was always a challenge. Though he'd come a long way since his marriage to Samantha, Len suspected his friend's hold on stability was more tentative than anyone knew. As Father Kelly saw it, in spite of his many achievements and all the people who loved and admired him, his powerful friend still lacked the faith that would sustain him in times of ultimate tragedy and loss. He'd feared for his soul ever since Charlie's death.

"Open up, Len," a tense, angry voice called, as its owner pounded on the front door.

"Jack, you don't have to wake the neighborhood, you know. Come on in. What's wrong?" the cleric asked, opening the door.

"What's wrong? My kids are gone that's what's wrong, for cryin' out loud," Jack bellowed, on the verge of a full blown rant.

"Listen, have a seat," Len said as calmly as he could. "Tell me all about it and how I can help, Jack. Can I get you something?"

"Yeah, a stiff drink would be good right about now," Jack quipped bitterly.

"Oh right, that'll help," Len replied in a tone of sarcasm that gave his friend a run for his money. "Sam's got nothing on you in the brains department. Have a seat, I'll make coffee. On his way to the kitchen, the ex- Green Beret, now a man of God threw one last comment over his shoulder. "Oh, and if you decide to look for the booze cabinet while I'm gone, don't bother, I moved it. My last associate had a problem."

Jack did as he was told. He sat down, snickering to himself. If nothing else he'd come to the right place tonight. Len knew him and wasn't afraid to give him a good kick in the ass. God knows he needed one right now.

Returning with the coffee, Len took up where he'd left off. "You go and drink Jack and I swear I'll beat you up. I'll save Sam the trouble," he said, only half joking. The sentiment was not lost on Jack. His buddy didn't look like he'd gotten all that soft. Jack didn't think he could take him, but he'd bet Len could do some serious damage.

"To be honest, Len, I wasn't seriously considering _drinking_ alcohol," Jack said. "Maybe smashing several bottles of it over someone's head, but not drinking it. Thanks for the image though; it'll keep me honest."

"So, Jack, what the hell is going on?" Len asked once they'd both sat down with coffees and he saw his friend take a deep breath.

"Jake and Grace, someone took them. Three days ago now, Sam was ambushed in our garage and the twins were kidnapped," Jack supplied.

"Got any leads?"

"That's just it. As soon as a lead materializes, it disappears. We've got the best investigators on this, and we're getting nowhere."

"Where does that leave you, Jack? What's going on in that head of yours?" the ordained priest asked.

"One helluva lot of anger, I can tell you that. I swear I'll kill whoever did this, just give me the chance," Jack said in a chillingly calm voice. With a deep breath, Jack hung his head for a moment, willing himself to stay calm. When he straightened up, he looked Len straight in the eye. "I'm afraid I won't get the chance, Len. I may never see the kids again. They may never be found."

Len's heart went out to his old friend. From the start of their acquaintance he'd known Jack O'Neill as tougher than nails. The man didn't make deep connections with others easily, but when he did, he committed fully. And he'd committed to his wife and kids from day one.

"And you wonder why the hell I can't believe in that God of yours? What kind of monster would let this happen to innocent kids, let them be torn away from their parents to who knows what kind of horror? Tell me, Len."

"I'm really tired of taking the wrap for God, Jack. The guy's got a lot broader shoulders than I do," Len said. "Maybe you ought to have this discussion with him."

"Cute, Len," Jack rebuffed him. "In case you forgot, I don't believe."

"And that, my friend, _I _don't believe," Father Kelly rejoined with a gentle, knowing look. "If it were true, you never would have found your way here tonight."

Both men sat silently for long minutes.

"Len, I don't know if I can do this," Jack began, unable to sustain the silence much longer.

"Do what Jack? Stand by your wife through this? Trust in God to get you through it? What is it you can't do?"

"Of course I'll stand by Sam, Len. But I don't know how to bring them home."

"Maybe it's not all your job. Ever think of that, Jack."

"Then whose would it be?"

"There are other ways to find what is lost than knocking heads together," Len said, with the certainty of deep faith and compassion."

"Really? Now you're going to tell me there's some hocus-pocus I can say and this God of yours will magically make everything okay, right?"

"Jack, you are the most pompous, arrogant Irishman I've ever met and I've met a few, my friend. You'd think you created the world. Is that where all this military rank has gotten you? If so, I'm not very impressed; you could do better."

"What are you talking about, Len?"

"I'll tell you what I'm talking about, Jackie-boy. You're trying to tell me you blame God for all the bad things that happened in the universe, for your loss of Charlie and Kayla. It's not that simple, Jack. If it was, I'd give up and go home too, believe me."

Moments later, "What then?"

"I'm just saying if God's the monster who took Charlie and Kayla then who's responsible for bringing Sam into your wretched existence? Hmm… cat got your tongue?"

"So you're saying something profound like 'the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away', right?"

"Jack, what I'm saying is nothing in this world is that black or white. In your sane moments you know that too. God's not some sort of cosmic judge balancing every moment of every individual's life. Sometimes things just happen. Some horrible things happen to good people. It's been that way from the beginning of time. Doesn't mean God is angry or God is punishing. Sometimes, like now, it's about human beings using their free will to choose evil."

"Why doesn't your God stop them, the evil ones?" Jack asked with a faraway look in his eye.

"I don't know, Jack," Len admitted. "I don't think anyone does. The God I know leaves a lot in our hands. And when we ask, he's there for us. Ask Jack. It can't hurt. Just ask."

OoOoOo

Hundreds of miles from Chevy Chase, Maryland, one of the evil ones contemplated his current existence.

_I have to get out of here. I don't belong here. It is time to leave this miserable place once and for all. Only one more thing is necessary, control of the Stargate. With my captives, that too will easily be mine. With their powers, the universe shall lie at my feet. I will reign supreme once more._

_I cannot wait to see their faces as they know the bitter taste of defeat. I have waited for my revenge and I shall have it.

* * *

_

A/N: I know this is different, but I wanted to stop for some character development for Jack. I'm hoping this piece will play a role later on in the story. Let me know what you think.


	17. Chapter 17 Betrayal

_I cannot wait to see their faces as they know the bitter taste of defeat. I have waited for my revenge and I shall have it._

17. BETRAYAL

In short order the twins had been spirited away to a small home on the outskirts of Colorado Springs. Though it was a dark, dreary, early spring morning Grace and Jake were happy to see the outdoors after three days in the bunker.

"What do you say we get you guys something to eat?" Malcom said. "You look like you haven't eaten for awhile. Peanut butter and jelly okay?" he asked tentatively.

"That would be great!" Jake said.

"Yeah, Uncle Barry. I'm so hungry!" Grace said. "You know, we stopped eating or drinking anything in that place. I think there was a bad medicine in everything."

Barrett listened with interest as Grace proudly described how she'd figured out the plan to neutralize their telekinetic ability, then decided to avoid further exposure to the drug.

"You really are your mother's daughter," Barrett observed with genuine delight.

Grace beamed innocently.

"After we eat, can we go home?" Jake asked.

Barrett set out paper plates, bread, peanut butter and jam and began to make sandwiches as he spoke.

"That's the plan, Jake. It may take awhile though. There've been some problems at the SGC since you were taken."

"What kind of problems?" Grace asked.

"There are people at the mountain working with the men who took you. Your parents are trying to find out who they are and send them to jail. That's why they sent me to get you," Barrett said. "They want me to keep you safe until the bad people are in custody."

Grace looked puzzled, still not understanding why her mom and dad hadn't come themselves.

"But when can we go home?" Jake persisted.

"It shouldn't be long. But you'll have to be patient. Can you do that?" Uncle Barry asked gently, fixing them both with his warm, friendly eyes.

Both children nodded sadly but cooperatively. All they really wanted right now was to see their parents. But they'd known Uncle Barry for awhile and he'd always been good to them. Besides, he had a very important job, almost as important as their dad's. Certainly, they thought, he'd know when it was safe to go home.

OoOoOo

As Jack and Sam made their way to the mountain, Jack's cell rang. It was Colonel Scott.

"O'Neill," he snapped.

"Thought you'd want to know, Sir," Scott said. "Beverly Picard is awake; her doctor says we can talk with her."

"Be there in fifteen, Scott," Jack said tersely, ending the call. A quick U-turn and the O'Neills were on their way to find information they hoped would lead them to their children.

Jack made it to the Academy hospital in ten minutes, narrowly avoiding a run in with a state trooper. He and Sam had completed the short trip in silence, both tensely anticipating a break in the case.

By the time they'd made their way to Bev's bedside, the injured woman was sitting up and talking with the agents guarding her. Though pale, she seemed alert and even animated. She looked up from what she was doing as the O'Neills entered the room.

Sam couldn't help but notice the look of obvious pain that crossed Beverly's face as their eyes met. In spite of her anxiety for the children, Sam felt a moment of understanding and compassion for the woman. Jack, however, was not similarly moved. He stood by the patient's bedside, ready to get down to business.

It was clear Colonel Scott had begun the interrogation, but Jack didn't let that stop him from taking over.

"What's going on Beverly? Jack asked in a cool, even voice. "Where are my kids?"

"I'm not sure, General, but I'll tell you what I know," she said hoarsely, still struggling to talk clearly after the breathing tube had been removed. "I'm sorry, Sam," she went on, turning to the women who'd been her colleague for so long.

Sam sat down and looked intently at Beverly, a woman she realized she never really knew. "Where are they?" she asked in as kind a tone as she could muster.

"The last I saw them they were in an underground bunker, less than a mile from where you drove the other day," she said quietly. "I've given Colonel Scott directions."

"I have a team headed there now," Scott interjected. "They'll call me as soon as they're in." Sharing a long look with his military superior, he added, "Sir, I wanted to dispatch them immediately; they're the best, special-ops. If your children are there, they'll bring them out."

Jack fought his initial urge to run from the room to find the bunker. Instead he asked the next obvious question. "Who's behind this, Beverly?"

Sam noticed stray tears begin to fall from Beverly's eyes. Again she addressed her comments to Sam.

"He said it was a simple study. I didn't think he'd hurt them," she began. "He offered me so much money, Sam. Now, now I just don't know."

"Who is it Beverly? Who's paying you?"

"It's Malcolm, Sam, Malcolm Barrett," Beverly said, waiting for the reaction.

"Our friend, the NID director?" Sam asked skeptically. "I can't believe that."

"We need the truth here," Jack interjected in a tone that brooked no argument. "We don't have time for games."

"I'm not playing with you, General," she protested. "Malcolm came to me, shortly after he became head of the NID and started to ask for information. At first, he made it sound like it was legitimate information the NID needed for security purposes. I didn't think anything of it; in a way, he's really my ultimate superior at the lab. I thought the intensity of his interest was strange, but who was I to question it?"

"But then everything started to sound different. All his questions were focused on the twins and any information I could provide about the telekinesis testing. It wasn't long before he recruited me to "work on a special project". Initially, I was led to believe it was an official NID project, but once he started to discuss payment, I knew that wasn't the case. About six months ago, he told me he was planning the abduction. I had no idea what he had in mind. If I had, I never would have gone along with it."

"What's the plan, Beverly? What does Malcolm want with them?" Jack asked, getting very impatient with the woman.

"I'm still not sure, General," she answered softly. But I know he has no intention of letting them come home."

OoOoOo

"Answer your phone, Jack!" Harry Maybourne shouted to himself in the confines of a small washroom behind a local service station. His frustrated demand was finally met by his old friend's less than welcoming tone.

"O'Neill. What?"

"It's me, Jack. I have information. We need to meet."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for all your reviews, very encouraging. And as you can see, the interest keeps me churning out chapters in rapid succession.

Love to hear from you on this one as well!


	18. Chapter 18 Questions

"_It's me, Jack. I have information. We need to meet."_

CHAPTER 18: QUESTIONS

While Jack spoke with Maybourne, discretely arranging a meeting, Sam sat alone trying to wrap her mind around Beverly's revelations. Malcolm kidnapped her children. Why? Why would someone they considered a friend do such a thing?

Sam and Malcolm had always had a good working relationship. The stalwart NID agent had gradually and surprisingly become a family friend shortly after the twins were born. He'd been welcomed with open arms. For the longest time Sam assumed Malcolm was intrigued with the idea of family. A confirmed bachelor, she'd guessed nurturing a relationship with the O'Neills was his way of experiencing family life.

_All along he was setting us up, s_he thought, disturbed at the possibility she'd been so easily deceived. It was right around the time he'd taken such an interest in the children that his career started to take off as well. _What else did I miss?_ _Maybe there were clues back then to what was going on, something that would help us now. _

Sam's quiet, confused musings were interrupted by a summons from Colonel Scott.

"Colonel Carter, I'm getting a report from my team at the bunker. Where's the General? I want everyone to hear this together."

"I'll get him. He's just down the corridor making a call," Sam said.

In fact, Jack had completed his conversation with Harry and was headed back towards his wife as Sam started to go after him. Together, they followed Scott to a hospital conference room Special Operations had co-opted for the occasion.

Once the O'Neills were seated, Colonel Scott signaled the team leader to begin his report.

"Sir, we found the bunker. It's a series of three rooms actually. There's no one here alive. We found two bodies."

With those words, Sam's heart clenched. She gasped audibly. His own heart panicked, Jack grasped his wife's hand, momentarily unable to breathe.

"We haven't been able to identify them. Both victims are male, probably in their forties, early fifties, no identification. Cause of death not immediately apparent."

Scott winced as he saw the General and Colonel, well known to him as two of the most decorated officers in the service, close their eyes, release the breath they'd been holding and slump into each others' arms. For the moment, these larger than life figures were simply parents fearing for the lives of their children.

"Any sign of the children, Captain?" Scott asked.

"Not specifically Sir. We did find a small room with sleeping bags, pillows, soft sided furniture. There was a video hook up in the room, but the recordings are gone. It's possible the O'Neill kids were kept there. We can print things and see what we get."

"Okay, bring everything back to the SGC. We'll meet you there."

OoOoOo

Sam was surprised Jack didn't insist on joining the team assigned to apprehend Director Barrett. Instead, he'd seemed perfectly content to drive back to the SGC and wait for word at the mountain. Once their vehicle detoured from the main road on the way to the SGC, she realized her husband, as always, had his reasons.

"Jack, where are we going?" Sam asked.

"You'll see when we get there," Jack replied tersely.

Within 10 minutes, they'd arrived at an out of the way diner. Dimly lit, with less than fifteen cramped booths and little service to speak of, the establishment didn't have a great deal to recommend it. Nothing, that is aside from the font of information waiting patiently for them when they arrived.

"Harry, imagine seeing you here," Jack said coyly as he slipped into the booth, pulling Sam in behind him.

"Glad you could come, Jack, Sam," Harry replied. "How are you holding up?" He asked, looking at Sam with uncharacteristic concern.

"I'll be fine, Harry, soon as I know they're okay," Sam replied flatly.

"What's so important, Harry?" Jack asked impatiently.

"I know who's behind this. I did some digging. Seems the missing records found their way to NID offices. According to my sources, they went straight to Director Barrett."

"We already know that, Harry," Jack said. "Barrett's behind the whole thing. Scott's men are looking for him now. That's where I should be, not here with you."

"Jack," Harry said in his drawn out, disappointed tone. "After all this time, I hoped you knew my information would be, what would you say, 'special'. After all, I'm going through some pretty unorthodox channels."

"Harry, just tell us, please," Sam said, desperation in her voice. "How could Malcolm do this?"

"Exactly, Sam," Malcolm said. "It seems Malcolm Barrett hasn't been himself for a long time now."

OoOoOo

"I do not understand why O'Neill is not with us," the large Jaffa observed to his team of human Air Force officers and NID agents.

"The O'Neills said they had a stop to make," Colonel Scott reported. "Hopefully we'll meet them at the SGC _with_ Director Barrett in custody."

Scott's team, with Teal'c taking point, resembled an urban SWAT brigade as they closed in on the small suburban home owned by the NID director. Though Barrett's main residence was in Washington, D.C., he'd kept a small place outside Colorado Springs for several years. The team had it on good authority that Barrett was currently at said location.

The ten member team surrounded the simple ranch style building, covering each of the three exits, before Scott and Teal'c announced their presence. Before Teal'c could break down the front door, it opened of its own accord.

"Colonel Scott, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Malcolm asked, feigning surprise. "And Teal'c? This doesn't look like a social call."

"No sir, it's not," Scott replied. "On orders of the President, we're here to take you into custody."

"This is a bad idea for a joke, gentlemen," Malcolm said, scrutinizing Teal'c's stoic, less than amused expression.

"It's no joke, Sir," answered one of the NID agents stationed by the front of the house. "You're under arrest on suspicion of kidnapping."

"Really? And who do you think I kidnapped?" Barrett inquired with a lilt to his voice.

"Stand aside, Sir, we need to search the premises," was Colonel Scott's only reply.

The young NID team member took a deep breath and proceeded to cuff his highest superior, hoping he wasn't making a mistake. Teal'c stayed with him, keeping watch over Barrett as the rest of the team entered and searched the small home from top to bottom.

"Clear, Sir," Scott's second called. "There's no one else here. However, we did find what looks like a child's sweater on the bed. Might belong to one of the O'Neill kids."

"Okay, Jenkins and Rogers stay here and print the place," Scott ordered. We're taking Director Barrett to Cheyenne Mountain for interrogation."

* * *

A/N: Thanks again for reading and reviewing. Know this one is short, but unfortunately work is interfering. Hoping to have it finished in the next week or so. By the way, your guesses are getting closer.

Please continue to review.


	19. Chapter 19 Responsible

"_Okay, Jenkins and Rogers stay here and print the place," Scott ordered. We're taking Director Barrett to Cheyenne Mountain for interrogation."_

CHAPTER 18: RESPONSIBLE

Within twenty minutes of entering the no-name diner, Jack and Sam were back on the road to Cheyenne Mountain. Sam's cell rang less than two minutes into the drive. It was Daniel calling to tell them Barrett was waiting in interrogation. In itself this was good news. Yet it couldn't compensate for the disappointment of knowing the children were still nowhere to be found.

"Do you think Maybourne's information is accurate?" Sam asked her husband.

"Harry's a lot of things, Sam," Jack began, "but I believe he really wants to help us. Hey, the man's done a lot of unsavory things in his career. He owns a few of the higher ups at the agency, guys who decided to go straight when they weren't caught a few years back. Blackmail can come in handy, when you're looking for information."

"Wish he'd come back with us," Sam said, looking for all the ammunition she could get.

"He's still a wanted man, Sam," Jack answered. "He's looking forward to returning to that paradise of his, not sitting in a jail cell here on earth."

Sam was silent for the last few moments of the drive. As Jack parked the car and started to sprint to the entrance of the base, he looked back to see Sam still sitting in the SUV, deep in thought. He went back for her, opening the passenger front door and holding out his hand.

"We're going to find them, Sam."

OoOoOo

In a small interrogation room, somewhere under Cheyenne Mountain, one man awaited the assault he knew was to come.

Jack O'Neill had been the bane of his existence for many years. This man had the audacity to presume superiority and the insolence to show his disdain of a clearly superior being.

O'Neill's wife wasn't much better, though her beauty argued for mercy. For some unfathomable reason, Samantha Carter O'Neill dared to believe her natural intelligence and abilities rivaled his own. _Such fools these humans are! _He thought.

Unfortunately, these inferior creatures had succeeded in stripping him of his power, his slaves, his armies and his riches. After all this time, it was still difficult to understand how that had happened. His own military acumen was so much greater. Yet O'Neill and his underlings had turned his own men against him, effectively demolishing an empire. The infidel would pay, in fact, he was paying now.

Ah, this was so much better than outright killing the man; even better than physically torturing him. Surprisingly, O'Neill had proven capable of withstanding a great deal of physical pain. This was so much better. To have the man watch as his children were taken, helpless to prevent their loss. Surely it would destroy him.

Even Malcolm Barrett had mixed feelings about O'Neill. Of course the overwhelmed human recoiled when he witnessed the offenses perpetrated against the family in the past few days. Seems he was still pining over O'Neill's wife. How pathetic. But deep down, seeing O'Neill suffer seemed to give Malcolm some sort of perverse pleasure. Perhaps there was still hope for this one.

Yes, at first Malcolm had resisted him, but the resistance was weak and pitiful. He had no more chance than all the others before him. Now cowering in the recesses of his mind was the most he could do. Indeed, Barrett should be thanking him. He'd never have risen to his current office without the help of his all powerful 'mentor'.

Strange creatures these humans were, all of them. At least the O'Neills had talents of a sort to recommend them. That was more than could be said for the men he'd hired to help with his plot. Fools they were and now several of them were no more. He could not abide their pointless whining and questioning. The universe was better off without them.

But the twins, Jake and Grace O'Neill, they were a different matter all together. They were destined to be his redemption. With natural intelligence beyond their years, strong, attractive young bodies and uncanny telekinetic abilities, they would assure his future.

With the power they could potentially harness, no one would dare stand against him. It would certainly be a golden age again.

He'd spent many a depressing, earthbound night contemplating the restoration of his kingdom, his stature among his remaining brethren and his ability to exact vengeance. Now the advent of that time was at hand. It would be several years before the children grew to adulthood, where they were ready to assume their final roles in the drama, but he could wait. Once Jake grew to manhood, he planned to abandon Malcolm Barrett in favor of the new, more powerful body. And at the same time, Grace would be ready to take her place as his consort.

His new life was truly just ahead of him.

OoOoOo

Harry Maybourne was a genuinely resourceful, resilient individual. Fifteen years ago, the man had been in prison for treason and under a sentence of death. Less than forty-eight hours ago, he'd been king of his own planet, lord of a sizeable harem and pampered beyond his wildest dreams.

As far as he was concerned, the last twelve years of bliss were owed in large measure to one Jack O'Neill. In spite of all Harry's treachery over the years, Jack had somehow valued his contributions in times of crisis. He'd valued them enough to put his reputation on the line for Maybourne's freedom on more than one occasion. Personally, seeing them together now, like this, Harry believed he knew the real reason for the man's benevolence. Doubtless, his role in helping Jack rescue Sam during the Adrian Conrad fiasco had shifted Jack's feelings towards him. Jack O'Neill had become Harry Maybourne's greatest benefactor the day he'd "put in a good word with the Tok'ra".

He owed the man, big time. And if nothing else, Harry Maybourne always paid his debts.

So, when he'd gotten wind of the kidnapping, he'd wasted no time finding his way to earth, armed with information he'd accumulated over the past several years.

Not long after SG 1 left his adopted home 10 years ago, Harry's subjects had found more Ancient artifacts on the planet. Communications devices and an excellent cloaked ship had been among the treasures eventually uncovered, close to where the time ship had initially been found. And being King Archon had its advantages, one of them being first dibs on the new toys.

He'd never really lost his contacts on earth; a treason conviction couldn't unseat someone as well connected as he was. So with a newly found communications system the envy of NORAD, Harry Maybourne had resumed his monitoring of the more interesting current events of his home planet. Of course, intrigue at the NID was one of his favorite sources of amusement even from afar. The appointment of dark horse Malcolm Barrett as director, a little over three years ago caught his attention. In his lap of luxury, Maybourne had done what he could to figure out how the fairly straightforward, not very politically savvy agent had secured such a position. His long distance digging had uncovered a great deal of juicy information detailing gradual changes in the man's behavior and demeanor.

From what his old friends in the agency told him, Barrett was never quite the same after his run in with the Ba'al clones, the year after the inception of the Ori conflict. The man's closest associates found his mind clouded by the experience of brainwashing, at least for a few weeks after the incident. Then to the surprise of these same men, a new, more assertive, Malcolm Barrett emerged, demonstrating leadership they'd never seen from him.

Around the same time, the Ba'al clones seemed to have disappeared.

OoOoOo

Fully two hours after Director Barrett had descended into the bowels of Cheyenne Mountain, under heavy guard, the interrogation was about to begin.

Neil Hendricks was nominally in charge of the process as the leading representative of Homeworld Security. Against his better judgment, three-quarters of the original SG1 joined him for the occasion. Teal'c had insisted on playing the role of intimidating guard, while the O'Neills simply would not take no for an answer.

"Director Barrett, you are a suspect in the kidnapping of Jake and Grace O'Neill," Hendricks began. "As such we have several questions for you. Government counsel can be provided if you so wish."

"I've done nothing wrong. I don't need counsel, Hendricks. Let's get on with this foolishness," the director said impatiently. "I have places to be and things to do."

"You're not going anywhere until I have my kids back," Jack said in the flat, emotionless tone of a man about to do serious bodily harm.

"Jack, I wish I knew where they were. God knows I've done everything in my power to find them," the suspect replied.

"What exactly have you done, Malcolm?" Sam asked, her eyes shining with tears, her voice sharp with accusation. In her hands, the bereft mother clutched the navy blue print sweater left behind in the bunker by her daughter.

"I had nothing to do with this Sam. If a rogue NID agent is involved, I can't be held responsible."

Hendricks took over at this point. "Director Barrett, we have a witness who identifies you as the man in charge of the abduction and the man responsible for her shooting and poisoning."

"And who might that be?" Barrett asked indignantly.

"For crying out loud, Barrett, you know who it is," Jack said, beginning his orchestrated plan to draw out his enemy's true colors. "Beverly Picard, she told us the whole story."

"Then I'm afraid she's mistaken," he replied coolly.

"Why would she make up such a story?" Sam asked.

"To deflect the blame? To make herself look better? Any one of a hundred reasons, Sam."

"Beverly describes you as a cold blooded killer, Malcolm," Sam said. "She said she barely recognized you after the incident with the clones. You changed and I have to agree with her."

"Yeah, to hear her tell it, you suddenly became sloppy, even incompetent … oh, and a lot more cowardly too," Jack added.

"What? That makes no sense. I became director of a national intelligence agency! My performance was much better than before in every way. Everyone could see that," Barrett countered, clearly irritated and off his game.

"Really? Then why do your associates talk about you as though you have no comprehension of the spy game? You're a laughing stock, a fool, a buffoon," Jack taunted, warming quickly to his role.

"What are you doing, O'Neill? Your children are missing and you waste your time taunting me?" Barrett fired back.

"Actually, I quite enjoy it. You're a pathetic loser, Barrett, a coward hiding behind a title, a puppet having his strings pulled… a…"

"Enough!" the shell of Malcolm Barrett exclaimed. And as he did, his eyes flashed.

* * *

A/N: Obviously, much has been revealed here, yet the mystery remains: where are Grace and Jake and what happens next? Stay tuned, more will be revealed.

And yes, oh please, please keep pushing that little button to review!


	20. Chapter 20 Anger

"_Enough!" the shell of Malcolm Barrett exclaimed. And as he did, his eyes flashed._

CHAPTER 20: ANGER

"Hello," Jack drawled, in a decidedly unpleasant tone.

"Well done, O'Neill," the distorted voice of evil answered him, all need for deception gone.

"Where are they?"

"You'll know soon enough," Ba'al replied. "The time is at hand."

Though the O'Neills had briefed him on the way to the interrogation room, Hendricks was shocked by the actual revelation of Barrett's true identity. Still, taking in the murderous look on General O'Neill's face, and Teal'c's cocked staff weapon, Hendricks decided to take over in the hope of preventing immediate bloodshed.

"We have the authority to offer you a deal for your cooperation," the Homeworld Security operative suggested.

"And what could _you_ possibly offer _me_?_"_ The Ba'al entity enquired indignantly.

"Oh, I don't know. Your pathetic life, maybe," Jack broke in.

"But you have already done that O'Neill, given me new life," Ba'al observed in a sickeningly sweet, lascivious tone. "You and your beautiful wife have provided me with my future host _and_ a host for my future queen. Your children will be excellent hosts. I am most grateful."

Sam had been fairly quiet until that point. She'd been content to let Jack take point while she observed, assessing weaknesses and planning strategy. But the thought of her children as hosts was anathema to her. It was unbearable.

She could take no more. Fueled by a rage she'd never experienced, Sam stood, her eyes wild, her body rigid. Small unsecured items in the interrogation room began to swirl about. Hendricks was nearly impaled by a flying pen. With Teal'c and Jack looking on in amazement, Malcolm Barrett's body suddenly jerked forward and levitated nearly 2 inches above the floor. His hands flew to his neck, his breaths now coming in short, choked gasps.

"Where are they?" Sam demanded in a dark, sinister tone that startled even Jack.

Barrett continued to make stifled choking sounds, his eyes bulging, face red. Clearly trying to talk, probably wanting to plead for his life, the man was unable to make an intelligible sound.

"Sam," Jack said softly, hoping to reach his wife through the haze of her fury. "We need him to get the kids. Let him tell us where they are."

Amazingly responding to her husband's request, Sam decreased the pressure on her victim's neck, allowing him enough air to form a verbal response.

"You are still powerful, Samantha. Kill me and you will never find them," Ba'al taunted with a confidence his breathless body didn't feel.

Infuriated anew, Sam increased the grip of her mind on his throat. Fearful she would kill both Barrett and the symbiote before they could reveal the location of the twins, Jack came up behind her, gently laid his hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear.

"Don't, Sam. We still need him. Besides, when this is over, I want to kill him myself, the old fashioned way."

Sam turned slowly to Jack's voice, her eyes softening. Barrett's form collapsed over the table in front of him, gasping for breath. As a medical team came in to tend to Barrett, Jack led Sam from the room and into an adjoining area where they could talk.

OoOoOo

"I'm sorry," Sam began, "I had no idea I'd lose control like that. I could have destroyed our only chance of ever finding them."

"It didn't happen, Sam. You got it under control," Jack said, holding her by both arms and looking intently into her eyes. "I thought the Ancients removed the telekinetic abilities along with the tumor. You know … the 'surgery' after Jon was born."

"That's what I believed too, Jack," Sam said softly, short of breath herself after the attack on Ba'al. "It seems very intense emotions still trigger the ability, particularly in the offensive mode. It's frightening. I would have killed him without a thought to the consequences if you hadn't stopped me."

"Not true, Sam," Jack said reassuringly, verbally demonstrating his total faith in her. "You knew what had to happen, you only needed a reminder. As it is, the snakehead knows we're on to him and that you can kill him with a thought. That's not a bad thing."

And for a moment, they allowed themselves to take comfort in each other's arms before returning to battle the evil that was now among them.

OoOoOo

As they made to return to the interrogation room, Jack and Sam were met by a very harried Daniel, who effectively blocked their way.

"Daniel, get out of the way," Jack said impatiently. "We need to get back in there."

"Don't bother, Jack," Daniel answered. "Janet's put a stop to the interrogation for now. Says Barrett, Ba'al, whoever he is, needs a break to recover. He's under guard in isolation room one. We can see him again in an hour."

"Great, that's just great! Janet's worried about _Ba'al's_ health and well being. Damn it, Daniel," he said, "what the hell is wrong with your wife?"

"That's enough, Jack," Daniel said. "Janet's doing her job. Besides, I think you ought to hear what I've got to say."

Taking a deep breath and responding to Sam's coaxing, Jack followed Daniel into the now empty interrogation room.

"My team, they're gone," Daniel said simply.

"Your team? We're your team, Daniel. What are you talking about?"

"You mean the NID search team you were assigned to, don't you, Daniel?" Sam observed.

"Exactly. They've been out of contact for the past twelve hours," Daniel informed his friends. I called their home office and nobody seems concerned. Says they were called away on special assignment. Their orders came from the Director's office."

Jack and Sam looked at each other then back at Daniel, his meaning slowly coming clear.

"You think they have Jake and Grace?"

"It's possible. Remember how Barrett told us at the beginning these guys were handpicked by him for the job. Why not?"

"So we're saying they're all loyal to an alien enemy?"

"Don't know that, Jack. There's no telling what line of information Ba'al's been feeding them," Daniel said. "But I'd say we better find out."

OoOoOo

At the main gate of the Cheyenne Mountain facility, three senior NID agents and one enthusiastic trainee were passing the main checkpoint, along with their two pint-sized charges. The leader of the group informed the young security detail they needed to speak directly to General Landry and no one else. The airmen guarding the checkpoint recognized General O'Neill's children and offered to call him immediately. They were surprised when the agent in charge told them not to do so.

"It's imperative we're taken directly to General Landry's office," the agent said. "Trust me, notifying their father will put the children's lives in jeopardy."

"But, Sir, the General …"

"Airman, please," the agent pleaded, out of earshot of the children. "We have good reason to believe General O'Neill was involved in their abduction."

* * *

A/N: What do you think? Only one more chapter to complete the action of this story. Then an epilog and we're done!

Please review!


	21. Chapter 21 Sacrifice

"_Airman, please," the agent pleaded, out of earshot of the children. "We have good reason to believe General O'Neill is involved in the plot."_

SACRIFICE

Ellison Clark was a career intelligence agent. At fifty-eight years of age, he'd seen his share of people come and go at the agency. Hell, he'd seen three directors before Barrett.

In his younger days, he was far from a straight arrow; in his estimation, people who never broke the rules, never got ahead. During the years Harry Maybourne was moonlighting with rogue NID agents, Clark had been a dedicated, valuable go between, a double agent of sorts. Once Maybourne and the others were taken down, he'd seen the error of his ways, whether through fear or conviction, he wasn't sure.

As a thirty year veteran, he'd seen the good, the bad and the ugly of both military life and the NID. In his estimation, Jack O'Neill had always been one of the good guys. Sure, he'd dismantled a pretty lucrative off-world operation fifteen or so years ago, but for all Clark knew, he'd been right to do so.

Now, Clark wasn't so sure. In his role as senior advisor to the Director, Ellison Clark was privy to inside information many of his colleagues were not. This time, the information was more disturbing than most. The Director's statements, evidence actually, implicating General O'Neill in the abduction of his own children, was hard to believe. But Barrett had provided decrypted computer files documenting the man's involvement; Clark had seen them with his own eyes. And given the special nature of these particular children, the Director insisted the ultimate protection was necessary.

Head of the elite team personally assigned to the Director, it had been Clark's job to manage security for the children over the past forty-eight hours. Somehow, Barrett had single handedly managed to liberate them from the kidnappers their father had supposedly engaged. Now, for a reason that hadn't been explained to his satisfaction, the team had been instructed to deliver the two eight-year-olds to the top secret facility where both their parents worked. To make things worse, he'd suddenly been saddled with a green trainee who'd been assigned to accompany his usual team on this mission.

The kids were great. Forty-eight hours with them had passed quickly enough. They were intelligent, well behaved children with quick wits and burning desires to be reunited with their parents. Again, for reasons not shared with Clark, the operation had to be delayed till precisely forty-eight hours following their liberation. Jake and Grace O'Neill had been restless but willing to endure the wait since their trusted Uncle Barry told them it was necessary.

As if the whole thing weren't puzzling enough, Clark had received a cryptic message from his old cohort, Harry Maybourne, just hours ago. Coming as it did over a server they hadn't used in years it was amazing he'd even received it. He almost wished he hadn't.

According to Maybourne, Director Barrett wasn't exactly who he claimed to be. Clark had heard a lot of strange things given his clearance level over the years, but the Director being compromised, that was a lot to take in, even for a man of his experience. But he didn't have much time to fret over the situation. Barrett had ordered the kids brought to the SGC precisely at 0800 hours. He'd have to sort it out after he arrived at Stargate Command.

_What could go wrong?_ Clark thought. He was bringing the children to a high security military base. They'd be safe while he worked things out with the people who knew O'Neill best. And if the Director was there waiting for him, he'd just have to be kept away from the kids until everything checked out. _Simple, right? _So why was his stomach in a knot?

OoOoOo

It was going down. He knew it. And he knew he had to be there. He owed Jack O'Neill. It wasn't what he wanted to do, but for once in his life he was determined to do something good even if it might cost him. The O'Neills needed his help.

There was a lot that could go wrong. Through his contacts, Harry had learned less than an hour ago that the O'Neill children were being held by the NID. Though he didn't know exactly how that came to be, he assumed Ba'al/Barrett was up to no good. He could have told his men most anything and as the Director, they'd be likely to believe him.

For all his connections, Maybourne didn't have a contact at the SGC, something that frustrated him to no end. So he did the next best thing, he text messaged his old buddy Ellison Clark, praying, albeit cynically, he'd be believed. And he'd summoned an old friend.

OoOoOo

"General Landry, I'm Ellison Clark, Sir. It's a pleasure to meet you," the agent began as he was ushered into Landry's office. As senior officer, he'd been the one selected to meet with the general, while the other three agents guarded the children. "I only wish it were under better circumstances."

"I'd say they're pretty good circumstances, Mr. Clark," Landry countered. "I'm told you brought the O'Neill children to us. What I don't understand is why you've asked me to hold off on notifying their parents."

"Sir, I have reason to believe General O'Neill is behind the abduction of his children," the NID agent said. "Concrete evidence presented to me by the Director himself."

"Really?" Landry said with disdain. "Then I'd say you've been taken in by the best, Mr. Clark, you and the rest of the NID. You see Director Barrett has been compromised. He's been infested with the Ba'al symbiote."

Now it wasn't _just_ on Maybourne's say so. Still it was hard to believe. But it explained a great deal when Clark recalled some of the odd, idiosyncratic behavior he'd witnessed over the past few years. As part of the Director's inner circle, he'd had his doubts about some of the Director's more unorthodox actions over the past few years. And given the present context, it wasn't hard for him to believe General Landry's allegation. In fact it was more credible than the Director's allegations about O'Neill wanting to harm his own children.

"Mr. Clark," Landry called, trying to regain the man's attention. "So can I assume I'm clear to call the O'Neills?"

"Of course, Sir. I'm sorry to have delayed the reunion," the man answered.

Before Clark could inquire about the fate of the Director, the overhead alarm sounded.

"Medical team, Level 19, Stat! Dr. Frasier, Level 19, medical emergency."

OoOoOo

The youngest member of the NID was Elijah Nelson, a relatively new NID recruit, specifically added to the team by Director Barrett less than a week before the twins' abduction. Had the normal security checks been run when he'd applied for his job, he'd never have been hired. Anyone looking into his background would have found no record of the man before three years ago, when his name, social security number and forged records suddenly appeared.

It was around that time that 'Elijah Nelson' found his way to Earth from a small colony of Free Jaffa in a neighboring solar system. Ba'al had rejoiced to see his former First Prime once more in his service. And the ruthless Goa'uld knew exactly how he could be of help in his overall plan.

So it was that Elijah found himself the newest member of Director Barrett's inner circle. He was the only member of the team who knew what was really going on today. While Ellison Clark was clearly puzzled by the order to bring the children to the SGC, Elijah was intimately acquainted with the plan. It was finally time for his god to be restored to his rightful place in the galaxy. And Elijah would reclaim his place as his master's faithful servant.

First steps had now been completed. In the secure waiting area where the children and agents had been secreted, all was silent. Elijah had sedated the children and incapacitated the two remaining agents. Now, making his way to the isolation cell where his god was being kept, he knew the time was at hand.

The airmen stationed outside the isolation cell were surprised to see the NID agent on their level. Though he appeared to have full guest clearance, they saw no reason to give him access to their high priority prisoner. As the senior airman called for instructions, both guards were hit by the energy of an alien weapon, falling to the floor without firing a shot or calling for help.

Teal'c, stationed directly in front of the prisoner, didn't fare much better. Distracted by the incessant banter of his charge, he was taken off guard when Elijah burst in. After a brief moment of recognition, he too was hit by the blast of a zat'nicketel.

"Finally! I have been waiting," Ba'al greeted his liberator and slave.

"My lord, I was delayed, but all is now in readiness," Elijah, truly named Roa'c, replied. "We must hurry before they discover the others."

As it was, by the time Ba'al was freed, the medical team had been summoned. The two remaining NID agents had been found unconscious, with the children nowhere in sight. All was going according to plan.

The children had fallen into a sound sleep just before the agents were taken out. All Elijah had to do was increase the sedative dose they'd already been receiving in their food for the past 2 days. Then, once he'd taken out the agents, Roa'c effortlessly carried the children, one under each arm, to a nearby supply closet. That's where they remained until he and his lord Ba'al came for them.

As Roa'c and Ba'al opened the supply closet door, they found the children just coming out of their stupor. The sedative had been perfectly titrated. They'd be able to walk on their own, making their next journey all the easier.

"Shh …," Barrett/Ba'al whispered, taking in Grace's startled eyes, as first light entered the darkened closet. "I'm taking you to your parents, but there are still bad men here, so it's important you do exactly as we tell you." Ba'al knew his options were limited. He needed to have the cooperation of the children, at least for a few more moments. Then all bets were off, he could be himself and nothing they could say or do would help them.

He nodded silently to Roa'c. It was time for the next part of his plan to unfold.

OoOoOo

"Where are they?" Sam asked, with a smile too long absent. "Why didn't he tell us when they first got here?"

"Seems Ba'al gave his agents a little story using those phony computer files he had you translate. Made me out to be the mastermind of this whole thing," Jack said, taking his wife's hand and leading her out to the hallway and in the direction of the room where they expected the children would be waiting.

Before they'd gotten halfway to the elevators, they heard the emergency call.

"Unscheduled off world activation! Security teams to the Gateroom! Security Teams to the Gateroom!"

In the confusion that followed, the O'Neills were met by Daniel as he came running from the opposite direction. Not far behind him was Teal'c, recovered as quickly as possible from the stunning force of the zat'nicketel blast.

"Ba'al is free. His First Prime, Roa'c, is on the base, O'Neill."

"Jack, Janet's got two NID agents in the infirmary," Daniel added excitedly. "They said they'd been guarding the twins in the guest lounge. The kids are missing, there's no sign of them."

"He's got them," Sam said on a weak whisper. "The gate room. That must be where he's going."

OoOoOo

"What's wrong, Uncle Barry?" Jake asked as he saw airmen running past them full tilt on their way to the gate room.

"Don't worry, Jake. Elijah and I will take care of you and your sister until we find your parents," Barrett/Ba'al said. "It won't be long now."

As much as Grace and Jake trusted their Uncle Barry, they were scared to see him carrying a large staff, even larger than he was. Grace thought she'd seen Uncle Teal'c with one in a picture a very long time ago.

OoOoOo

As defense teams arrived in the gate room, Jack and Sam joined Landry, Clark, Walter and the other technicians on the observation deck.

"What's happening Hank?" Jack asked.

"We've got incoming travelers. The iris is off –line," he began, trying to bring his military superior up to speed. Sam had already taken over at the computer terminal, doing all she could to override the interference. But it was too late. Before Sam could repair the damage, a Goa'uld stun grenade shot through the open wormhole. Before they knew it, the defense teams in the gate room had been incapacitated. As if on cue, three eerily familiar figures emerged from the event horizon.

"Oh my God, Jack. The clones …? Where did they come from?" Sam asked.

Before anyone could think to answer the question, the door to the gate room slipped open. Standing back to back, Ba'al and Roa'c entered the gate-room, each tightly holding a struggling child. Roa'c held the muzzle of a nine-mil flush against Grace's temple.

"Call off your men O'Neill," Ba'al commanded, immediately looking up to the observation level. "I will not hesitate to kill her. After all, I only _need_ the boy, I simply _want _them both," he said, tossing his staff weapon to one of the clones. "Why don't you and your lovely wife come down to say good-bye? While you're at it, be sure to leave your weapons up there. As you can see I've arranged a welcoming party for you. I know you've missed my original handsome face, O'Neill. I know I have," he said with a smirk.

Grace and Jake, still slightly drugged, were overwhelmed and frightened by the startling turn of events. They'd seen their parents in the observation window and that was good, but why was Uncle Barry acting like this. _He couldn't mean it when he said he'd hurt Grace, could he?"_ Jake thought.

In seconds Jack and Sam had entered the gate room, unarmed as instructed. Their eyes found and held their children's. There were tears in Grace's eyes as she trembled in the arms of the huge Jaffa who held her tightly. And Jake, he was starting to look furious as Barrett/Ba'al continued to hold on to him.

"What do you want?" Jack asked, keeping his voice as steady as he could.

"You know too well what it is I want, O'Neill. And I already have it," the Goa'uld answered. "All that is left is for you to activate the Stargate. Roa'c will provide the address."

"You're taking Grace and Jake with you, aren't you?" Sam asked, knowing the answer in her heart.

"But of course, my dear. That was the whole point, after all."

"And why would we let you do this?" Jack asked.

"Because, O'Neill. You would rather see both your children live with me than die here with you."

Sam closed her eyes and gasped involuntarily at the final statement.

"With me they will be rulers of worlds, more than they could ever be here with you on this puny planet." Before he'd finished his statement Barrett/Ba'al could feel the static charge in the air. "Don't even think it my dear," he said, directly addressing Sam. Using your powers now would be most misguided. The gun, after all, is aimed and ready."

As Sam did her best to rein in her anger and panic, the gate began to spin once more.

"Shut it down, O'Neill," Ba'al yelled in frustration. "Shut it down or they die."

"We can't stop an incoming wormhole, Ba'al," Sam said flatly. "And you disabled the iris. There's nothing we can do to stop this."

"What do we do my lord?" Roa'c asked, meekly seeking direction. Coward that he was, Ba'al/Barrett directed the clones to stand in front of them. They did so immediately, shielding Ba'al and Roa'c with their bodies and weapons.

By the time the clones had taken position the wormhole engaged. Seconds later with security teams beating frantically at the non-responsive doors to the gate room, four figures came running through the active gate. The first three men took aim and fired without warning at the clones, taking them out where they stood. From behind Ba'al's forces, without warning, the glass barrier of the observation platform shattered and Teal'c catapulted himself into the fray.

Roa'c distracted by Teal'c's appearance and knowing he was the one best qualified to protect his god, let go of Grace; the little girl immediately ran towards her mother. Ba'al, infuriated at the thought of losing one of his prizes, grabbed a staff weapon from one of the fallen clones and proceeded to take aim at the running child, certain he could kill her before she reached her mother. If he could not have them, O'Neill would watch them die.

As Jack grabbed Jake, suddenly free of Ba'al clutches and pulled him to safety, he heard Sam's scream, "No….!" The sound of the weapon firing and hitting its target just behind Jack pierced him to his soul. Turning, the sight that met his eyes, was not what he had expected. By some miracle, Grace was clinging to her mother. Sam met Jack's gaze with a tearful smile, clearly indicating their little girl was safe.

Less than a meter in front of them, lying on the floor, was Harry Maybourne. He'd taken the staff weapon blast himself and was bleeding profusely. With Jake clinging to his side, the invaders now subdued by Teal'c, the surprise Tok'ra reinforcements and the reviving defense teams, Jack dropped to his knees next to Maybourne.

"Help's on the way, Harry," Jack said, tears clouding his eyes. "You're gonna make it," he said, though he knew it was wishful thinking.

"Just returning the favor, Jack…" Maybourne said, before his eyes closed for the last time.

* * *

A/N: Whew! I'm exhausted. How about all of you?

I appreciate all of you who've hung in there with the story.

I'm hoping to tie up loose ends and give you some fluffiness in the epilog. (So, if you're confused about the story, just ask and I'll be sure to clear it up in the epilog.

Any and all comments much appreciated.


	22. Chapter 22 Epilog : New Life

"_Help's on the way, Harry," Jack said, tears clouding his eyes. "You're gonna make it," he said, though he knew it was wishful thinking._

"_Just returning the favor, Jack…" Maybourne said, before his eyes closed for the last time._

_

* * *

_

CHAPTER 21. EPILOG: NEW LIFE

Five months later…

"Parents and godparents… What is it you ask for this child?"

"Baptism," Jack and Sam said confidently, echoed by Daniel and Janet, the child's godparents.

"What name have you chosen for your child?"

"Elizabeth".

The timeless ceremony of initiation continued in this manner for another twenty minutes. The small infant, dressed in an elaborate child-sized white gown was presented to the gathering of friends and family as a new member of the Church. Her proud parents and godparents looked on in awe as Rev. Leonard Kelly gently poured blessed water over her forehead and rubbed sweet smelling oils on the top of her head and on her hands.

Finally Daniel lit a special candle from a larger candle standing by the altar. All present were told this light symbolized the light of Christ which would accompany the child through life. The words of the liturgy reminded parents and godparents that it was their responsibility to keep that light burning brightly for their child.

The four adults gathered around the altar listened to the priest with rapt attention. The infant's three older siblings, standing close to their parents, were a bit more distracted. Jake, Grace and Jon took turns waving to friends in the church and touching their new baby sister to reassure themselves she was real

Soon enough the ceremony was over. Father Kelly looked out over the two dozen or so people gathered in the small chapel and pronounced the final words of blessing. The concluding words were met with large smiles and a round of applause. His good friend, Jack O'Neill, now the father of four young children sported a genuinely proud and happy grin as he stood, one arm around his wife's shoulder, his other hand holding his youngest son's hand.

"Len, you know we're headed back to the house for a party," Jack said. "Do you need a ride?"

"I have the rental, Jack," Len replied. "I'm going to thank the pastor for his hospitality and then I'll be on my way to the house. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Thanks for everything, Len," Jack said. "Your being here means a lot to us."

Len nodded almost imperceptibly. It was a small gesture, but one he knew his old friend would recognize. Without further ado, Jack moved on to check in with other guests, leaving Sam and the baby with Len.

"He has no idea how happy he's made me today, Sam," Len said, looking at mother and child. "I have the joy of seeing my good friend truly happy."

"He really is happy, Len," Sam said, a lovely smile meeting his gaze.

"Did you know Jack visited me shortly after Beth's birth?" Len asked.

"He mentioned it," she replied, still smiling. She clearly remembered the conversation, especially the part where Jack thought the church would fall down when he walked in.

"Jack was just sitting in the pew, alone, quiet, head in hands. I'd ever seen Jack O'Neill sitting quietly without playing with something. I like to think he'd started to talk with God again that day. He's been waiting for Jack to come around, you know."

Sam nodded her agreement. As she walked with Len towards the entrance of the church, she offered her own silent thanks for the safety of her family. The tiny baby she held in her arms had been born to a close knit, loving family, who'd survived a great deal over the past year.

Five months ago, she'd feared for the lives of her oldest children. For weeks after their kidnapping they'd been fearful, clingy, all the things she'd expect from children who'd been traumatized in such a way. Yet their resilience and response to being safe once more in the arms of their parents had been a wondrous thing to behold.

Exiting the church, Sam caught sight of her husband. Jack was waving her over to where he stood talking with Malcolm and Harry. No doubt he was doing some friendly arm twisting, trying to convince the two to come back to the house.

It had been a very long road for each of these men. Each felt awkward and unsure of himself in the current situation.

Malcolm Barrett had recently left a private mental health facility, where he'd been treated by Air Force psychiatrists. Shortly after he was incapacitated in the gate room, the Tokra had arranged to remove the Ba'al symbiote from the agent. The removal had gone smoothly and Malcolm had little if any physical damage. But the emotional damage was extensive. As everyone had learned with Sarah Gardner, recovery required in-depth therapy and long term monitoring. After nearly a month of near catatonia, Malcolm had begun to interact therapeutically with his doctors. In the past few weeks, he's begun to face the guilt he felt about the kidnapping. Being here today was a huge step in his recovery and required courage on everyone's part.

And Harry, well Harry was simply glad to be alive, thanks to Tok'ra and Asgard medical technology. Oh, and, thanks to his good friend Jack O'Neill, he was now a free man on any planet.

OoOoOo

Hours later, the christening party was over. The O'Neills were alone in their house. Friends and extended family had departed around 2000 hours, knowing it was time for the children to settle down. Jake and Grace, after their typical protests, had gone up to bed without much fuss. Jon had needed two stories tonight and Beth, well Beth was on the porch with Mom and Dad enjoying this warm summer evening.

Sam had just finished feeding her youngest when Jack came out to join her, kissing her gently before sitting down beside her.

"It was a good day."

"Yes, it was," she answered. "I'm so glad Luke and Maureen could make it. Michael's getting so big."

"That he is that little nephew of mine. I'm lucky they came at all after the way I talked to Luke."

"Your sister loves you, Jack, and Luke's a smart guy. He understood."

Jack raised his eyebrow, nodding slightly. Once again focusing on his wife and Beth, his smile grew and he leaned in closer.

"Hey, can I hold her for awhile?" Jack asked.

"Sure," Sam said as she studied her husband. "Jack, you are such a …"

"Such a what?" Jack asked indignantly

"Dad … you are such a _dad_," she answered wistfully.

"Yeah, that's me and proud of it."

"I know you are; me too. We have four very lucky kids," she said, tenderly handing him their precious little girl.

"That we do, Sam," he said, clearly deep in thought.

"And…?"

"Sometimes I wonder … Was it fair to bring them into all of this?

"What are you talking about?"

"The danger they're in just by being our kids, not to mention the ability, growing up being different …"

"Jack, they're happy children. They know they're loved and they can depend on us," Sam said tenderly, surprised to be the one to reassure her normally confident husband.

"But they know we can't always protect them. What about that? How are we going to make that right?" he asked. Then, looking at Beth, sleeping peacefully in his arms, "I don't ever want her to be scared like that."

"Much as we'd like to, we can't control everything that happens, Jack. No one can." Sam paused thoughtfully. "Malcolm couldn't control what happened to him."

"Hey," Jack protested, "control or no control, he's never going to be alone with our kids again."

"I know," Sam agreed sadly.

The parents sat quietly for long moments considering the truth of those words and enjoying the simple beauty of their new baby.

"But we can control what we choose to do. Like Harry, he made some pretty gutsy choices," Sam said, continuing the earlier train of thought.

"Yeah, he did, didn't he? Jack replied. "Bright guy, that Harry is, getting his Tok'ra buddies to help. Wish I had the man's contacts; never could find the Tok'ra when I wanted them."

Sam giggled softly, remembering exactly how it used to be. "You certainly convinced the President that Harry did some pretty extraordinary things."

"Yeah, I did," Jack said. "I suppose I have my contacts too. It was the right thing to do, I owed him. I still owe him – he saved Grace's life, yours too for all I know. He put himself in danger from the minute he came back. If he was still Air Force I'd have put him up for the Medal of Honor. As it was, I thought he'd enjoy a Presidential Pardon."

"Nice," Sam said in vintage Jack-speak.

On cue, Beth wiggled in her father's arms, a tiny smile playing across her face.

"And don't you tell me that's gas," Jack quipped. "Our little girl thinks her daddy did something nice too."

The END

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the story half as much as I enjoyed writing it. This was the final story in the series of prequels leading up to Alone.

Thanks again for reading and for all of your reviews.


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